Title: The Rules For Eating With Your Hands In India, Africa And The Middle East - Food Republic
Headings: The Rules For Eating With Your Hands In India, Africa And The Middle East
The Rules For Eating With Your Hands In India, Africa And The Middle East
There's an art to hand-to-mouth dining
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Content: While some think eating with your hands makes the food taste better (you’re able to mix the food to a consistency you like), others believe it feeds your mind, not just your stomach, by offering a personal connection with your food. Africa
Fufu, a root-based plant boiled in water, mashed, shaped into smaller balls and served with soup and meat, is a popular dish in parts of Central and Southern Africa. Once ready to eat the fufu, pull off a small piece, make a dent in it and use it to scoop up the soup. Much like in India, eating with the left-hand is considered disrespectful, and one should use their thumb and first two fingers to pick up and push food into your mouth. Before sitting down to eat, two water bowls will be placed in front of you for washing your hands before and after the meal. Oh, and don’t lick your fingers — that’s saved for after the meal when everyone is finished! The Middle East
Hand-to-mouth eating etiquette doesn’t differ much from Africa and India in the Middle East. It’s all the usual to-dos (use your right hand only, scoop food with your fingers and wash your hands thoroughly before and after your meal). It is common, however, to take food from a communal plate that sits in the center of the table, scooping the food with pita bread. And brace yourselves, New York
More and more, people in the U.S. are embracing hand-to-mouth eating.