Gadling quiz – can you figure out what this thing is?

Can you guess what this is (without peeking at the answer)? Yes – those are chopsticks, and yes, someone does appear to be eating noodles out of this contraption. But why? Answer after the jump!

This is a Nagashi Somen machine for at home. The product description says:

  1. Water is put in
  2. The boiled thin wheat noodles are put in
  3. If a switch is turned on,it will OK!!

Somen are very thin wheat flower noodles, served cold, and dipped in a special sauce. The noodles can be served as Nagashi Somen, which involves letting them flow down a chute of water, often using bamboo. A great example of a family enjoying these noodles can be found here. The dish is apparently quite popular in the summer, as the cold noodles can be quite refreshing.