Why do Indians eat with their hands when spoons and forks are readily available? A US man’s question about the practice has now sparked a social media debate, with economist Sanjeev Sanyal offering a pointed answer. In a video posted on X, Aka showed a couple eating with their hands at what appeared to be a South Indian wedding. He asked, “Seriously question, why do they all eat with their hands?”
Why Do Indians Eat With Their Hands?
Eating with the hands is a long-established practice in India and is particularly common when eating traditional meals such as rice, dal, curries, vegetables, and other foods that are meant to be mixed together. For many Indians, it is not simply about avoiding cutlery. The hand helps mix different components of a meal and shape the food into a bite before eating it.
It is a simple test….. if you cannot bear to touch it, and need metal instruments, then it is probably a bad idea to put it in your mouth. https://t.co/omWQcETPDi
— Sanjeev Sanyal (@sanjeevsanyal) September 5, 2026
The practice is also familiar at traditional gatherings, including weddings, where meals may be served on plates or banana leaves and eaten by hand. Sharing the video, Sanjeev Sanyal wrote, “It is a simple test… if you cannot bear to touch it and need metal instruments, then it is probably a bad idea to put it in your mouth.”
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Viral Debate Erupts Over Indian Food Habits
His comment quickly opened up a larger conversation about hygiene, cutlery, and the long-standing Indian practice of eating with the hands. One person challenged his argument, writing, “If you are going to put it in your mouth, why not use the metal utensil over germy hands?”
Sanyal responded that hand hygiene can be addressed just as easily. “Well, you can wash your hands before eating just as easily as a metal instrument.”
Several users backed Sanyal’s argument and said they would rather rely on their own cleaned hands than utensils whose previous users they cannot identify. One person wrote, “Moreover, it may not be possible to know who has used the cutlery before me for eating, whereas I am sure that only I have used my hand!” Another said, “I know my hands are clean, can’t say the same about spoons.”
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Others defended the practice as something deeply natural to Indian eating culture. One user wrote, “Eating with our hands is the most natural thing to do, and it is the most satisfying.”
Another commenter took the hygiene argument further, writing, “Most hygienic way of eating. Those spoons and forks enter thousands of mouths before they enter yours.”
One person simply wrote, “Besides, Indian food is finger-licking good.”
