what's it like?- the absence of a fork

Utensils.  We teach our children to use them at a very young age.  It's important that they learn to eat with good manners.  Heaven forbid they use their hands after the age of 3!

But we live in a diverse world.  A world where certain things work for other cultures, while those same things repulse others.  The way in which we consume food is definitely one of those culturally diverse habits!

In India, you can keep your spoons and forks in the drawer.  In fact, you don't even have to have any.  Almost every Indian will tell you that "using your hands is the only way to enjoy a meal."  The menu makes no difference.  Saucy foods and dry foods are taken down the same way... with five little fingers!

The above picture stresses me out in so many ways.  I don't recall learning to eat with a fork, but I think I would have been a quick learner.  I have a thing about having stuff on my hands.  I'd be nearing a panic attack if my hands were caked in such a manner.  If you ever see me eat Indian food with my hands, you'll probably agree that I have mean skills when it comes to keeping things neat and orderly.  I'm determined to NEVER have more than two fingers dirty at one time, and even those are cleaned frequently!

Recently, we had an opportunity to watch one of our friends enjoy eating with his hands for the first time.  And lucky for you, I had my camera handy.  I thought I'd take some time in this post to give you the ins-and-outs of eating without a fork, should you ever find yourself in this unfortunate situation.

You'll find that most Indian meals will consist of dal (split peas prepared as a stew-like substance), rice, vegetables, and roti (flour tortillas made from wheat flour.)  You'll occasionally find chicken, but vegetarian cuisine is much more common.

At first, you'll want to mix the gravy from whatever you are eating in with your rice.  This is of course done with your hands.  When it's mixed well enough for you, you should begin forming a ball with your fingers.  Troy is attempting this step in the picture below.



It's okay to allow "a look of anticipation" to come across your face.  Most likely every person in the room will be watching your technique.  If the chef happens to be in the room, she'll be thrilled to see such joy upon your face as you await that first bite!



Now I'm going to go ahead and tell you that Troy's technique is not very good right here.  You don't want appear to be eating your own fist.



There's likely a more subtle way to get the food in your mouth.  But dropping it in and attempting to catch it on your tongue is not it, either!



This is a fairly good example of how to get the food in your mouth.  Of course, when three Americans are laughing hysterically at every attempt you make, it might make the task seem more difficult.

Oops.  We are back to eating our fist!



This is definitely the most important part.  Please don't leave your fingers covered in food.  I know your mom always told you not to lick your fingers, but no utensils most often means no napkin either!  Use what you've got.  Lick those fingers and clean yourself up!



And finally, most families do not drink anything while eating.  They will wash it all down at the end with some water, but there's nothing in between.  I've found Indian food to bear more than its share of spice, so please come prepared with water!  It just might save your taste buds someday.

So there you have it... how to survive the absence of the fork.  I love how each culture has it's own special way of doing things, and despite all gracing the same planet, we are all so uniquely individual!  So if eating with your hands is your thing, ENJOY!  To each his own!  Happy eating...