Stuff you never knew

Why Don’t We Eat With Our Fingers?

— Well, actually we do. All the time!

‘Hands up, who’s never eaten a hamburger?’

‘I’m vegetarian.’

‘OK, how about a sandwich? A bowl of popcorn at the cinema? A slice of pizza in the park?

Let’s face it, no one gets out a knife and fork to tuck into a KFC bucket. We eat with our fingers all the time! And yet when we sit down to our Christmas dinner, no one tucks in with their fingers.

But why?

Many cultures in India, South-East Asia and Africa still eat with their hands. And no doubt in the past, all humans ate without cutlery.

That urge is still with us now when we see a bone on a plate: a chicken drumstick, a rack of ribs, a knuckle of pork. Our natural instinct is to pick it up and take a bite, even if it’s coated in some hideous sweet sickly sauce.

We only stop when we realize we might get our hands dirty, or offend someone — like our mother-in-law.

Many would argue that eating with cutlery is simply more hygienic. This argument though was neatly demolished when the Second President of India Dr. Radhakrishnan once dined with Winston Churchill.

When Churchill mockingly asked Dr. Radhakrishnan: ‘Why are you eating with hands? Use spoons. They are much more hygienic.’

Dr. Radhakrishnan replied: ‘Since no one has used my hands to eat before, my hands are more hygienic than any spoon you may offer.’

Sound advice indeed.

After all, your hands are your hands, and if there is one person who knows where they’ve been, it’s you. If you choose to eat with them, it’s your fault if you fall ill — not the person who washes the spoons.

I’m not trying to convert you into using your fingers. Apart from sandwiches, I never eat with my hands. I’m as Western as Brad Pitt. I’m just interested in this line between practicality and etiquette, common sense and culture.

Most of my meals are stews or curries served with rice, bread, and pasta, and I always eat with a fork, for the simple reason that spaghetti bolognese is hard to eat with your fingers.

I mean, come on! Would you see anyone in Italy use their hands to eat pasta?

Well…

These were the macaroni eaters of 19th century Naples when spaghetti (called macaroni) was eaten as a street food. Spaghetti from great vats of boiling water was served onto plates with some animal fat and salt (no sauce!), and wolfed down by hungry workers. And like all street food, no fork was needed. As these incredible photographs can attest to.

So next time you’re in an Italian restaurant and the waiter serves you your pasta, you know what to say.

“I think I’ll skip the sauce and fork, thanks. Just bring me another jug of red wine, and I’ll be fine.”

Thanks for reading, and thanks to Scott-Ryan Abt for the vague idea. For more travel and food, check out