THE INDIAN WAY OF EATING FOOD

[Dave74]

Indian Food has several customs associated with the manner of food consumption. Traditionally, meals are eaten while seated either on the floor or on very low stools or cushions. Food is most often eaten without cutlery, using instead the fingers of the right hand. However, these traditional ways of dining are losing popularity as modernization has modified these customs. Silverware and Western-style seating arrangements are becoming the norm in urban areas of India.

Traditional serving styles vary from region to region in India. A universal aspect of presentation is the thali, a large plate with samplings of different regional dishes accompanied by raita, breads such as naan, poori, roti, chappati or rice. In South India, a cleaned banana leaf is often placed under the food as decoration. In earlier days food was served hot onto the banana leaves which is suppose to absorb the chlorophyll present in the leaf into the food we eat. Earlier banana plants are grown in houses and the plantain and the leaves were used in households. Now urban areas are filled with flat dwellers who do not have space or time to grow gardens. Though rural population still follow the old traditions.

Indian Food has really made a mark recently the world over. People have started realizing how harmful fast food is to the human anatomy and started recognizing the intrinsic value of the Indian method of cooking. The volumes written on methods and ingredients for cooking, the healing effects of each food etc which has been done systematically is enough to vouch for this cuisine…its taste and its goodness.

 

[SkipperMarv]

could this be another advert?

 

[VicS]

Our local indian take-away got done for employing illegal immigrants! I think it has shut them down. All much to the delight of the traditional English fish and chip shop next door.

 

[halcyon]

Back in the 60's the group I worked for had a foundry, shop floor was all Indians. Was there checking there cranes when an apprentice, dinner time the Indians all sat round a pot on this pile of moulding sand. One day the management thought that there was a lot of staff, so did a roll call. Turned out they had 2 1/2 times more staff than on the books. The employees had sub contracted there jobs to other Indians, some of which had sub-contracted the sub-contract. Some not happy people as they were marched out.

Good old days

Brian

 

[machurley22]

Ahh... the good old days.

Spent a significant portion of my mis-spent youth eating curry off leaves with my hands. I remember one hotel (this being the name for an eaterie) in Mangalore (probably called something different now) which was undoubtedly the most efficient restaurant in the world and served all you could eat for about 12 pence.

We paid a distinguished looking gentleman sat on a stool behind a high desk as we entered what had obviously been a school or lecture room in bygone times and were given a blue or red raffle ticket since there were only two different meals on offer. The room was terraced down to the front (which allowed it to be easily hosed down) and furnished with old-style individual combination desks and chairs, complete with holes for inkwells. In the interests of serving efficiency you sat next to the previous entrant and displayed your ticket on your desk.

The first in a succession of small boys appeared with a section of banana leaf and a small bowl of water to wash it. The second had rice, the third had chapatis, the fourth curry 1, the fifth curry 2 and so on down to the last with the chutneys. Second helpings were offered 5 minutes later.

Eating with your hands is liberating. I was very squeamish about it at frst and used to gingerly pick up a teaspoonful at a time with my fingertips. It wasn't long before I followed the local custom and stuck my whole hand into the food, mashing rice and curry together and sliding large balls of it off my four fingers with my thumb and into my mouth. Lovely!

The locals were much faster than us and the "snake" of diners had almost reached us again (at least 150 individual tables) before we were finished. I had the misfortune to leave a teaspoonful of curry and was severely admonished for waste by an almost audible tut and a just not quite invisible eyebrow from the smallest boy of all who appeared to be about seven and materialised to clean our desks at the instant we first thought about standing up to go.

For God's sake don't ask me about the Goan wedding.

 

[Gordonmc]

What about the Goan wedding, Silkie?
I went to one in Margau... and another in Panjim.

 

[Black Sheep]

[ QUOTE ]
For God's sake don't ask me about the Goan wedding.

[/ QUOTE ]
I hope it wasn't like the "wedding" I was invited to while in Pakistan. It took me rather too long to realise what was going on. Suffice to say there was no bride and groom, only a small baby boy and a sharp knife.

 

[johnalison]

I hope you used the correct hand and kept the other for its reserved occupation.

 

[fabian]

Does the Indian Way of eating food also involve women being in a different room as the men (to avoid the risk of them boring us with their opinions)? Or is that in some other part of the subcontinent? And if so do we have something to learn from the culture?

 

[tazzle]

When I was in west Africa I got used to something similar. Fufu is a sort of gelatinous hot doughy stuff made of corn and potato flour; you tear a piece off, and use your thumb to make a sort of small shovel . With the 'shovel' on the end of your four fingers, you risk a dip in the pot and bring out (with luck) a piece of meat or hard-boiled egg together with a gollop of hot chilli sauce. Too slow and you burn your fingers, too quick and a trail of sauce is laid on your shirt. Eating like this is quite competitive, and if you're a slow learner you go hungry!