In India, eating with your hands has become a unique cultural feature. Most people will think that this habit is uncivilized, but in fact, Indians have discovered a number of health benefits when eating with their hands such as improving digestion and preventing diabetes; and moreover, this habit of “eating with your hands” also has a deep spiritual meaning in Indian culture.

The habit of eating with your hands originates from Indian Ayurvedic teachings. The Vedic people (those who believe in Ayurvedic teachings) believe that our bodies are in sync with the natural elements and that our hands have a certain power. Ayurvedic teachings hold that each finger is a cradle of a type of energy corresponding to an element: through the thumb there is space, through the index finger there is air, through the middle finger there is fire through The ring finger has water, through the little finger there is earth. The fingers and their positions are related to the practice of mudras. In the ancient Indian tradition in particular and in Buddhism in general, mudras carry a spiritual meaning. This can be seen through images of Buddha statues or Yoga meditation, or in classical Indian dances such as Bharatnayam, Odissi and Kathak.

In addition to its profound spiritual meaning, Indians also believe that the hand is a very precious body part. They believe that before entering the body to be digested, the fingers will help determine the quantity or temperature of the food better, helping food metabolism go more smoothly. When you use your fingers to pick up food, millions of nerves in your fingers will relay information about how the food feels to you, helping your stomach digest well through the release of digestive juices and enzymes. In addition, in Indian culture, eating with your hands also brings a feeling of relaxation when eating, making digestion easier.

So what is the correct way to “eat with your hands”? According to Indian table etiquette, you must use your right hand to give food to the older person. Indian women will eat with their left hand, as a symbolic sign of gender. When “eating with your fingers”, Indians will grab a small amount from above, pinch it with their fingers and put it in their mouth. If the dishes are too large to put in one mouth at once, people will break them into small pieces rather than bite them. In India, each person’s class and status are also assessed through their eating style. . When invited to a home for a meal with an Indian family, if you use the “eating with your hands” method according to the above rules, this will become a sign of integration with the culture. and respect for the homeowner./.