TikTok's Viral Ramen Hack Might Be The Next Hot Dog Straw

You may not be surprised to learn that TikTok is the most downloaded app of 2022 (per CNET). Whether it's in the form of a popular corn meme or risking your job by filming yourself coffee-slinging at Starbucks, the app holds a considerable amount of power when videos take unexpected turns into viral fame. Popularity aside, the app also has a plethora of recipes that will have you cooking like a star in no time, plus occasional hacks that have the power to truly change your life's perspective.

Who knew making mashed potatoes with stock was a better alternative than water? Or that you can poach eggs in your microwave? While the viral egg hack may be more dangerous than you'd expect, there's one recent TikTok clip making its fast approach to stardom that may change the way you enjoy ramen in the future. A few days ago, one user posted a video of herself enjoying ramen using two stainless steel straws to the social media app. 

While watching her use the straws like chopsticks to slurp noodles isn't necessarily life-changing, it's what she does with the straws post-noodle that's causing some heated debate on the internet.

After taking a bite of her noodles in the video, TikToker Bri turns her straws around and sips the soupy leftovers, hands-free (via TikTok). While some users found the hack to be life-altering — with one stating "this just changed my worldview" — plenty of people didn't understand how drinking soup from straws was groundbreaking. One user claimed, "using a straw for hot liquids is scary." The creator received so much backlash, she posted a response video to one commenter who didn't find the video useful.

This back and forth over ramen is quite reminiscent of the surprising food a man was caught using as a straw at a recent Yankees game. The video showcases a man hollowing out a hot dog and placing it in his cup of beer as a newly formed straw (via Instagram). While the video caused an uproar on the internet, with one person stating "I wish there was a way to go back in time and not watch this", The Takeout may be right to defend the hot dog straw and the person's ability to enjoy their chosen food and beverage however they want to.

If the rising cost of stadium food isn't reason enough to give the hot dog straw a pass, we need to remember that not everyone's shared videos across digital platforms have to be 100% accepted. Drinking ramen from steel straws or slurping beer out of a hotdog might not be for you, but negative commentary won't stop the incessant video-sharing.