Comments on: Eat with Your Hands for a Sensuous, Intimate, Mindful Meal

By: Eating with One’s Hands: Cause to Lose One’s Children? | Cultural Detective Blog

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 19:42:32 +0000

[...] fascination with food and culture spurred me to write a post about different cultures who eat with their hands (including Indian, Ethiopian and Moroccan). And [...]

By: Nancie McDermott

Nancie McDermott — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 03:52:35 +0000

I devoured this story, Anna. Beautiful and moving and I learned so much. Living in Thailand decades ago, I encountered the concepts of eating with right hand only, and of eating from various dishes bite by bite, though in Thai tradition, each person has a generous plate of unseasoned long grain rice, which is eaten directly, or with various dishes mixed in with rice. Western contact in 1800′s led to Thai people’s use of big spoon for eating, and fork for maneuvering as you eat. People in rural areas, especially the elders, still used hands; and in Northern and Northeastern Thailand, Lao-style sticky rice anchors the meal and that means finger food. Such a pleasure. Our way in which I load up my plate with ‘my portions’ seemed different to me once I’d spent time eating Asian-style. This piece has me reminiscing; thank you for a wonderful journey.

By: Anna Mindess

Anna Mindess — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:42:24 +0000

It is my understanding from the people I interviewed that the “proper way” to eat with one’s hands is to wash the hands before eating and only have contact with the food one will put in one’s own mouth. Of course, there are rule-breakers in every culture.

By: Anna Mindess

Anna Mindess — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:39:06 +0000

Good point, Sue. And raw veggies, chips, fruit, cookies, bagels…the list could go on and on. I wonder, though, how we categorize what is ” American finger-food”? A German friend of mine told me the story of his first restaurant meal in the US, where he got stares (from his future American in-laws) for cutting up and eating his hamburger with knife and fork, like he did at home.

By: Sue

Sue — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:30:42 +0000

Hey, don’t forget about Americans, we eat with our hands too. What about chicken wings, ribs, hamburgers, fries and pizza?

By: Jeff Forward

Jeff Forward — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:05:58 +0000

I will eat my own food with my own hands. However, any communal meal with multiple people putting their dirty hands into food, I’ll never take part it. You can falsely claim there are no ill affects from this type of eating, but there are. It’s well documented. The last dozen people I know who’ve traveled to India and partaken in this type of eating have all reported raging intestinal problems for months afterward. But, hey, if fiery-poo is what makes you happy after a meal – for months – then cool, go for it…