Interesting Eating Habits from Around the World

You may have seen in films that Indians eat food with their hands. This is very common not only among traditional Indians but also among the new generations of Indian, even the ones who do not live in India. They always use their right hand because they consider the left hand unclean, and it is not respectful to eat with it. According to some Indians, eating with hands makes the food more delicious because you can mix the food and curries according to your taste. To eat with hands, they wash their hands clean before the meal. While eating the meal they push the food into the mouth with their thumb, not with all the fingers.

In Iran and a lot of Middle Eastern countries, people use their hands to eat as well. However, they use the hand to tear the bread, which is often at the centre of the table. In some parts of the country, people use the bread piece in their hand to scoop up the food from the plate. However, you need to be careful not to put your hand in your mouth or lick your fingers. It is considered unhygienic and disrespectful.

In Far Eastern cultures, respecting the elderly is an important thing, so there is no surprise that South Koreans always wait for the elderly at the table to start eating. Also, to be polite at the table, do not hold your bowl while eating. Make sure to do it – with two hands – only when you are receiving food from the host.