I believe we relish food (like all other sense objects) with our mind, which uses the senses to enjoy their objects, so do whatever u want the way ur mind dictates (as long as it is morally right).
I too feel quite uncomfortable when the small plate is kept on the left. It's actually a part of table etiquette. V, Indians, who use our fingers are used to just using one hand for eating. But westerners use both their hands...right hand for the knife and left hand for cutting and putting the food into the mouth. So I guess it just comes naturally to them to use the left small plate by using their left hand whereas v just tend to take the plate and keep it on our right side for comfort.
Hey all i got to say is dat try having gol-gappas with a spoon or dal-baati with fork and knife!!! We homo-sapiens have evolved such that our fingers are the best way to have our food :-)
Another thing I dislike is putting the small plate to the left of larger one. In western style you take bread / bun - bite by bite from the left plate and add some thing from the main course. In Indian food, if smaller plate is kept on right and you keep chapati / nan / prathas on right it is much more comfortable. I always change the position of the plates - but some find it objectionable. I am sure they are wrong. Any comments!
Certainly Not, I am With you and do enjoy food eating with hand. Would like to add that eating with fingures also gives you assurance that food is not too hot to put in mouth. I made my German Guest to eat Indian Food with fingures in aSeven Star Hotel at Mumbai and They apprcitaed and enjoyed that. Its only personal apprehension that what people will think makes us to eat with spoon.
I agree with those Chefs who advised the user to eat with his fingers. The fingers can tell you everything about the food you eat, whetner it is hot, cooked, half cooked, tough, soft, hard etc. With the spoon and fork this sensation is not transmitted. For example the south Indian food especially the Brahmin's is served on a Banana Leaf which made even the British remark that the South Indians are the richest people on earth because they do not use their plate again(Banana Leaf)they throw it off. When the Rasam is served on a banana leaf to prevent it from spilling over the rise is mashed with the juice and it provides a semi sold food which is eaten with a lingering taste in the mouth after the finegers and the side of the palm is licked in preventing the juice from falling on the clothes. It needs to be experienced rather than being told/listened to. The last one comes with butter milk and pickles.The sense perception glands are active, and you appreciate what you eat. Even fast foods, especialy the Burgers are eaten with the hands.So, when you are in Rome behave like a Roman not American.That is look for Pizza not Burger.Let us not be ashamed to eat with our fingers.I am not.
