# So: eating crackers with soup in a restaurant. How do you do it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 14, 2012, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-eating-crackers-with-soup-in-a-restaurant-how-do-you-do-it/612848 "2012-02-14T20:36:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-eating-crackers-with-soup-in-a-restaurant-how-do-you-do-it/612848/21 "2012-02-15T05:14:35Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > This just raises a host of questions in my mind. Are broths the only acceptable soups for Miss Manners as she finds flotsam indelicate? Actually, I think that chunks of solid food in soup which were intentionally put there by the chef would qualify as lagan, not flotsam. I know of no reason to think that Miss Manners objects to soup lagan. > [@Inner Stickler](#): > > Are crackers the only item for which this rule is enforced or must I refrain from crumbling bread into my soup as well? Can I dip bread slices? What about dumplings? They’re the same as crackers, really, except they came with the soup before it was given to me. Is it the act of dropping after the presentation that makes it declasse? I suppose in a hoity toity restaurant, crumbling crackers into the soup is like telling the chef they didn’t make it right. Although if they provide the crackers, they must think you’d want them… Again, dumplings fall into the category of stuff intentionally put into the soup by the chef, and therefore may be eaten (if they’re edible). The other stuff, though, nope. (Remember the classic comic semantic mangling of this etiquette rule that went “Never break your bread or roll in your soup”?) AFAICT, etiquette frowns upon the diner’s putting anything in his/her soup except salt, pepper and the spoon (and possibly some designated garnishes if they are provided—and it’s only fair to note that some etiquette writers specifically include small whole oyster crackers in this category). Like sopping up gravy or sauce from your plate with bread, crumbling or dunking baked goods in your soup just strays too close to the line of “playing with your food”. Mind you, I loves me some soggy bread in soup or sopped-up sauce on a bread slice when I’m eating informally, and I don’t feel personally affronted in any way if other people like to enjoy them that way in restaurants too. But the OP **did** ask if there was “a `right’ method” to eat crackers with soup. So I think it’s relevant to point out that according to traditional table-manners etiquette, the answer to that question is “Yes: separately”. ETA: Oh by the way, we were [talking about this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/archive/index.php/t-565220.html) just a couple of years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_From\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Girl\_From\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_From_Mars)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-eating-crackers-with-soup-in-a-restaurant-how-do-you-do-it/612848/22 "2012-02-16T02:47:21Z")
Soup in Australia, NZ and the UK is never served with crackers as far as I know - I’ve only ever seen it served with bread. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-eating-crackers-with-soup-in-a-restaurant-how-do-you-do-it/612848/23 "2012-02-17T04:16:50Z")
I don’t know if it’s exotic exactly, but I crush them while they’re still in the little plastic sleeve, and then open it and dump the crumbs into the soup, that way I don’t have cracker crumbs all over me. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-eating-crackers-with-soup-in-a-restaurant-how-do-you-do-it/612848/24 "2012-02-17T04:18:50Z")
> [@Rhiannon8404](#): > > Exactly this. Now, I don’t have to type it. Dang it, I should have read the thread first! ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-eating-crackers-with-soup-in-a-restaurant-how-do-you-do-it/612848/25 "2012-02-17T06:17:49Z")
I dump oyster crackers in chowda (all at once). In the saltines scenario: I pile some on the cracker, pop it in my mouth. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-eating-crackers-with-soup-in-a-restaurant-how-do-you-do-it/612848/26 "2012-02-17T16:58:34Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > I dump oyster crackers in chowda (all at once). In the saltines scenario: I pile some on the cracker, pop it in my mouth. UH? “I pile some on the cracker”? Some what? Not soup, surely? ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-eating-crackers-with-soup-in-a-restaurant-how-do-you-do-it/612848/27 "2012-02-17T19:18:40Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > UH? “I pile some on the cracker”? Some what? Not soup, surely? Yes, for example: the starch and chicken chunks in chix soup. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-eating-crackers-with-soup-in-a-restaurant-how-do-you-do-it/612848/28 "2012-02-17T19:24:22Z")
1. Take a bite of cracker. 2. Take a spoonful of soup into mouth. 3. Enjoy soupy/crackery goodness. 4. Repeat. ---
**Author:** ![surfrider55](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac8455/32.png) [@surfrider55](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/surfrider55)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2012, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-eating-crackers-with-soup-in-a-restaurant-how-do-you-do-it/612848/29 "2012-02-22T19:52:38Z")
I absolutely love putting crackers in my soup. The crunch is a great addition to the whole soup experience. I find myself really craving the crunch so sometimes, if I cant find crackers, I’ll even put Goldfish! Has anyone tried that before? It works because of all the different kinds of goldfish there are too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-eating-crackers-with-soup-in-a-restaurant-how-do-you-do-it/612848.md?page=1)