Don’t Bite The Hand That Feeds You..

By

Vivek Hande

 

The predecessor of the modern spoon probably dates back to 1000 BC in Egypt, where it was used for religious purposes and rituals. By evolution, man is supposed to be a hand and finger eater. Cutlery was not part of the original plan and is a much later addition dictated by convenience and the need to scoop soups and curries.

The West is slowly awakening to the advantages of eating with ones’ hands. We have always known of the myriad benefits of eating with ones’ hands and yet we often try to ape the more ‘civilized’ way of eating, using cutlery for foods which definitely need to be enjoyed with the fingers. I have seen folks attempting to eat a “Dosa” with a fork and knife. I have seen people eating a “Samosa” with a fork and digging into an “Aloo Parantha” with cutlery. Apart from hurting the feelings/fillings of the Samosa or the Dosa, it appears to me to be such a waste of a glorious and joyous experience!

That looks like a better plan..

Try eating with a Fork..

Indian culture has always recognized the advantages of eating with the hands. Eating with the hands establishes a physical and spiritual and, in some ways, a sensual connection with the food. The hand represents the five elements in Ayurveda: the thumb(space); the forefinger(air); the mid finger(fire); the ring finger(water) and the little finger(earth).

 

Eating with the hands stimulates the senses, improves digestion, enables you to enjoy the meal more, helps you eat in moderation; ensures the food at the right temperature touches your tongue. Using your hands to eat improves your consciousness of the food and it is believed to feed the mind and the spirit. This mindful eating is a powerful sensory experience and evokes emotions and passion. All this, apart from the obvious advantage of being more hygienic – washing hands before and after the meal is very much a part of the drill and far cleaner than the best washed spoon or fork…

There is also a lot to be said about the joy and pleasure of sitting down to a traditional meal, more typically a South Indian meal and eat off a banana leaf. Of course, there is an etiquette to it all. The leaf is washed of course and the larger part of the leaf to be placed to the right. The person eating is required to sprinkle some water around the leaf and also on it, as part of the ritual. The sprinkling of water is to clean it further and also to ensure ants didn’t make inroads into the serving. Always eat with the right hand. There is a method in the serving of the meal and each item has its rightful place on the leaf. The leaf is said to be rich in polyphenols and gives off antioxidants making the eating a healthier exercise. The repeated bending down to eat off the leaf improves spinal circulation. And of course, the entire exercise is far more hygienic and ecofriendly.

The Fine Art of Dining..

The “Langar” experience is another exercise in divinity and spirituality. Hot, simple, wholesome food cooked with devotion by volunteers; served with compassion and enjoyed with ones’ hands in the company of others accepting the bountiful blessings- it is food for the soul and the spirit. African and Middle Eastern Communities often break bread together and eat out of a communal plate- eating with the hand, sitting together binds them together and also keeps a check on the size of the portions and the speed with which one eats – all in consonance with the Islamic teaching to eat moderately and slowly.  

Hands Receiving Blessings

Eating Out a Communal Platter

Interestingly, as more Westerners discover the joys of eating with the hand, it has actually triggered therapists to analyze their personality types. As per therapist Rebecca Capps, persons who embrace eating with their hands are likely to be rule breakers, more adventurous, relish life and are more likely than not to place the needs of others above their own!

A hand to mouth existence might indicate an impoverished status, but I daresay, the hand to mouth ritual is an enriching one in its own way. There must have been something to the idiom ‘eating out of ones’ hand’ which conveys an abject surrender and handing over of total control. And if an apocryphal statement attributed to the Shah of Iran (after a visit to India and being exposed to the joys of eating with the hand), is to be believed, he definitely seems to have the last word, “Eating with a fork and spoon is like making love through an interpreter”

 

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