Etiquette of Indian Dining

As in many cultures, eating and drinking are important and widely respected parts of Indian culture, local customs, traditions, and religions. Proper table manners vary from culture to culture, although there are always a few basic rules that are important to follow. Etiquette should be observed when dining in any Indian household or restaurant, though the acceptable standards depends upon the situation.

Cutlery:
Though Indian cooking uses an extensive array of specialized utensils for various purposes, Indians traditionally do not use cutlery for eating, as many foods - such as Indian breads and curry - are best enjoyed when eating with the hand. There is a story that the Shah of Iran, on a visit to India, was so impressed by the custom that he remarked that to eat with a spoon and fork is like making love through an interpreter. Indians usually give the following explanation for the practice of eating with hands: "Food is divine and needs to be enjoyed with touch, smell and taste. There is no joy in using a knife and fork to eat it."

Eating with one's hands is a technique that can be quite clean when done correctly, but may require a degree of practice. First, the hands must be thoroughly washed, with particular attention paid to the fingernails. Having long fingernails in India is considered unhygienic (with the exception of sadhus and other ascetics).

Using the fingers, the food should be scooped onto the flatbread (naan, roti, etc.) and quickly brought to the mouth. In North India, when eating curry, the gravy must not be allowed to stain your fingers--only the fingertips are used. In South India, it is considered ill mannered to let your food stain the out side of your fingers or palm while eating and food is to be eaten only with the tip of the fingers, though popular belief is to think it is okay use more of your hand. In South India, the plate is not to be touched or held by the left hand while eating.

When flatbreads such as chapati, roti, or naan are served with the meal, it is acceptable to use pieces of them to gather food and sop up gravies and curries.

Not all Indian foods should be eaten with the hands, however. If the food is "wet" or "watery," like many daals and soups, spoons should be used. Additionally, foods such as rice are traditionally eaten with spoons in both North and South India, though this can vary depending upon the region.

Additionally, spoons (usually two used in a clasping motion) and forks are commonly used to distribute foods from a communal dish, as it is considered rude to touch the foods of others.

Traditional Indian cutlery does not recognize the use of forks and knives while eating, limiting their use to the kitchen only. Spoons were made of wood in ancient times, evolving into metallic spoons during the advent of the use of the thali, the traditional dish on which Indian food is served.

Ushte:
The concept of 'jutha' (in North India), 'ushtha' (in Western India), 'etho' (in Bengal, Eastern India) or 'echal' (in Tamil Nadu), Enjulu (in Karnataka), engili (in Andhra Pradesh) is a common belief in India. 'Jutha' is, essentially, something that has come in contact with your mouth, your saliva or your plate while eating - something that directly or indirectly came in contact with your saliva. It is considered extremely rude and unhygienic to offer someone your ‘jutha’ and it can only be offered to livestock or very close family/friends.

Right Hand:
The cardinal rule of dining is to always use the right hand when eating or receiving food and never the left. The left hand is considered unclean. However, it is advisable to use the left hand if there are any cutlery for taking food from the dish onto your plate. In some cases, use of the left hand is acceptable, such as when eating onions and other food accompaniments. Indians in distant rural India are not as concerned about the propriety of eating with the right hand. Also, in some communities, it is now acceptable for left-handed individuals to eat with their left hands.

Beef and Pork:
Almost all Hindus consider cattle sacred, and do not eat beef. Muslims consider the pig unclean and do not eat pork. Restaurants in more conservative Indian states, therefore, don't serve beef or pork, and if they are not on the menu then one would not ask for them for risk of offending the restaurateur. On the other hand, beef is commonly available in the North-Eastern states and Kerala and also in Goa and pork is common in Goa, the state of Karnataka and Kerala.

Other Rules:
In formal settings, it is expected that everyone will wait for the host or the eldest person - the elder taking priority over the host - to begin eating before everyone else starts. Everyone must wash their hands before sitting at the table as some Indian foods are eaten by hand. One must wash one's hands after eating the food. It is not necessary to taste each and every dish prepared; but you must finish everything on the plate as it is considered a respect for served food. For that reason, take only as much food on the plate you can finish.