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Regional cuisines
North India
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Ingredients and types of food
Main dishes • Desserts • Bread • Drinks • Snacks • Spices • Condiments |
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See also
History • Etiquette • Indian chefs • Cookbook: Cuisine of India |
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As in many cultures, proper habits of eating and drinking are very 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 depend upon the situation.[1][2]
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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.[3][4]
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.
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. 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.[2] 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 acceptable to use more of your hand. In South India, the plate is not to be touched or held by the left hand while eating.[5]
Not all Indian foods should be eaten with the hands, however. If the food is soupy, such as many daals, spoons can be used.[6] Additionally, foods such as rice may be eaten with spoons in both North and South India, more so in case of formal occasions as in a restaurant or a buffet where food is not served on banana leaf.
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. 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.[7]
The concept of 'uchchishtam' (in Sanskrit) 'entho' (in Bengal), 'aitha' (in Orissa), 'jutha' (in North India), 'ushta' (in Western India), 'echal' (in Tamil Nadu), 'echil' (in Kerala), 'enjalu' (in Karnataka), or 'engili' (in Andhra Pradesh) is a common belief in India. It can refer to the food item or the utensils or serving dishes, that has come in contact with someone's mouth, or saliva or the plate while eating - something that directly or indirectly came in contact with your saliva. It can also refer to leftover food. It is considered rude and unhygienic to offer someone food contaminated with saliva. It is, however, not uncommon for spouses, or extremely close friends or family, to offer each other such contaminated food and is not considered disrespectful under such circumstances. In certain cases, as in the first lunch by the newly-weds, sharing food from each other's leaves may be thought as an indication of closeness.[6]
The cardinal rule of dining is to always use the right hand when eating or receiving food and not the left. The left hand is not used to eat so that it can be used for serving food from the serving dish onto your plate using serving spoons, tongs etc. For left-handed people it is still mandatory to eat only with the right hand. It must be also noted that this etiquette is applicable only while eating Indian food. For other cuisines (Chinese, Italian, Continental, etc.), especially in urban areas, most Indians use forks and spoons to eat.
Cow is considered as a sacred animal by majority Hindus and hence beef is considered taboo in many Indian states, and therefore most restaurants do not serve dishes made of beef.[2] However beef is consumed by people of other religions and sections of Hindus. Beef is commonly sold in restaurants in the North-Eastern states, Goa and Kerala.[8] Apart from this, international restaurants (primarily located in urban areas) too serve beef dishes according to their usual menus. [9]