Indian
Dining Etiquette
Remember
that old country bumpkin you derided at the restaurant
because he was holding the forks like drumsticks?
Most of us equate table manners with the West. In
fact, we've forgotten that there is a code of dining
etiquette in India too. Let's see how different it
is.
No
spoons, no forks: Indians generally d
on't
use cutlery for eating. They eat with the help of
fingers. It may sound messy but once you are used
to it, you feel good about it, just the way the Japanese
and Chinese feel about using chopsticks. The food
even tastes better! There's a story that the Shah
of Iran, on a visit to India, was so impressed by
the custom that he remarked: to eat with a spoon and
fork was like making love through an interpreter.
It's
a technique:
Eating with the help of fingers is not difficult,
but a few
rules have to be observed.
1.
The left hand is not used for eating, even if you
are left-handed. It is considered unclean.
2.
Wait until you are served. Never attempt to help yourself.
Your right hand, with which you are eating, will leave
the serving spoon sticky. And you mustn't touch it
with your left hand.
3.
Never offer anyone food from your thali, even if it
is in one of the little bowls and you haven't touched
it.
4.
All the food that is placed on your thali becomes
jutha. There is no precise English equivalent of jutha.
I suppose 'polluted' comes closest in meaning.
A
few tips about Indian cuisine to help you along:
