Summary

The web content discusses the cultural practice of eating with hands, addressing the stigma attached to it by Western standards, and presenting the scientific benefits and cultural significance of this tradition, particularly in relation to Indian cuisine.

Abstract

The article "Eating with hands: The Culture, Stigma, and Science" delves into the cultural significance of eating with hands, a practice common in countries like India, Sri Lanka, and others. The author, who grew up in a small town and was later exposed to global perspectives through social media, reflects on the initial shock of discovering the Western world's view of hand-eating as unhygienic. Despite initial frustration, the author emphasizes understanding and awareness of different cultural norms. The piece highlights the benefits of eating with hands, such as improved digestion, mindful eating, temperature sensing, and immunity boosting, as well as the spiritual and elemental connections as per Vedic and Ayurvedic texts. The author also touches upon the diversity of food across regions, influenced by climate and resources, and encourages an open-minded approach to experiencing different eating habits, reassuring that cleanliness is a common practice among those who eat with their hands.

Opinions

The author initially felt angered by the Western perception of eating with hands as unhygienic but has since come to accept it as a difference in cultural norms.
Eating with hands is defended as a practice with significant cultural history and scientific benefits, not merely a mark of uncivilized behavior.
The author advocates for the importance of understanding and respecting diverse cultural practices, including those related to food and eating habits.
There is a call to embrace the tradition of eating with hands, suggesting that with an open mind, one might find enjoyment and benefits in this method of consumption.
The author points out the practicality of eating certain foods, like Indian breads and non-sticky rice, with hands rather than cutlery.
The article emphasizes the cleanliness aspect of the practice, noting that washing hands before and after meals is a standard hygiene protocol for those who eat with their hands.

Eating with hands : The Culture, Stigma, and Science

It is more than just a culture

Few years ago, I got exposed to the world of social media. I was brought up in a small town and have lived there my whole life.

Safe to say, I wasn’t that exposed to the outside world.

But the thing about this time is that, you can sit at one corner of the world and yet be aware of what’s going on in the other corner of the world.

When I was growing up social media wasn’t a thing!

For which I am extremely grateful…

I grew up playing with other kids and toys and in mud as opposed to games on smartphones, iPads and what not!

But social media has two sides to it. It has its pros and cons.

One significant thing that social media was able to achieve was connecting so many people around the world that it became easy for them to get to know about other cultures, languages, traditions, cuisines and of course, the people.

I have been eating with my hands since I was little. And that’s what everybody around me did too. This was my normal.

But in recent years I found out that it was considered “unhygienic” by the western world which baffled me!

Imagine growing up “eating normally” and then half of the world thinks that’s “eating like an animal.”

This made me angry initially. Not gonna lie!!

But I have made peace with that fact that people may not be aware of different cultures and that their “eating normally” was just different from mine.

No big deal. I got you covered.

The culture

Eating with bare hands is a culture that is followed in many countries, namely India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistani, Nepal, Ethiopia, Tanzania and many more.

This practice is mostly absent in North American and European culture where cutlery is used.

The Stigma

It is considered to be unhygienic by certain group of people. People say it is impolite and uncultured.

The only reason that may seem unhygienic is because the food has to be touched and picked up by bare hands and put into the mouth, leaving the hands dirty.

The Science

Eating with hands has it fair share of benefits. It…

Improves digestion: When you touch the food with your hands, the nerve endings send signals to produce digestive enzymes which help to break down food easily inside the stomach which further aids in better digestion.
Prevents overeating : The speed of food intake by hands is relatively slower and hence you are mindful while you eat.
Temperature of the food : The hands can sense the temperature of the food before you put it in your mouth. Hence, you won’t burn your mouth.
Immunity booster : Eating with hand can expose us to some beneficial microbes that help to develop immunity against various harmful bacteria.

According to Vedas and Ayurveda

Ancient Vedas or spiritual texts and Ayurveda says that five fingers of the hand represents five elements ;

The thumb = Agni (Fire element)
The index finger = Varun (Air element)
The middle finger = Akash (Space element)
The ring finger = Prithvi ( Earth element)
The little finger = Jal (Water element)

When you eat with hands, all the elements mentioned above are activated and it helps in balancing all the elements in the body which leads to a state of equilibrium or balance in the body.

My thoughts

Food varies from region to region.

It depends on climatic conditions, what kind of crops can be grown in a certain region and also depends on the availability of resources.

For example, if you are aware of Indian cuisine, there is a lot of diversity within the country.

South Indian food is different from North Indian food.

In the north, the climate varies from hot in summers and cold in winter. Hence, both rice and wheat can be grown in summers and winters, respectively. Whereas in the south, the climate is typically hot and has coastal region so only rice can be grown there.

Yes of course, there are many kinds of food other than wheat and rice grown in both the regions but this is just to give you an idea.

Naan and roti, which are common Indian breads, are made from wheat and are staple in North Indian.

Whereas Dosa, mainly made from rice flour, accompanied by coconut chutney is a South Indian staple.

So, food varies from place to place.

And so does the eating habits.

If you have ever had naan or roti or dosa, you would know that it’s impossible to eat it with a knife and fork.

The rice species consumed in India is usually thinner and taller and to the drier side. You might have heard about basmati rice. Yes, it has Indian origin. It’s not sticky like East Asian rice. Hence, chopsticks can’t be used.

Hence, eating with hands has always been convenient.

For the hygiene freaks, it is common to wash your hands before and after you eat.

So, next time you go to a place where eating with hands is a culture, don’t shy away from trying it yourself. You might not like the feeling of food touching your hand initially but I can guarantee you will like it if you give it some time.

The key, of course, is to have an open mind.