Touch and Food

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https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/Kurutob_eating_with_hands.jpg

The presentation from the touch group today made me think about an element of my study abroad that I really enjoyed. In both Tanzania and India, a lot of the food that we ate we ate without utensils, just using our fingers. In Tanzania it was rice, ugali, beans, cooked cabbage, and some other food. And in India it was many of the traditional, well-known Indian dishes like dal, curry and masala. We ate these by just grabbing the food we wanted with our fingers, mixing it around if desired, and picking it up and eating it. Many Indian dishes are served with a tortilla that can be used to pick up food.

It was a practice that took some time to get used to, but once I did I found that I really enjoyed it. For one, it was a good way to tell if the food was too hot to eat. But it also meant that we really were connecting with our food on a bit of a deeper level than the disconnect of using a fork or spoon. Another thing I noticed from eating with my hands was that it was just more fun. In an almost childish way, reminiscent of being younger and it being more acceptable (in American culture) to eat with your hands and to make a bit of a mess.

I'm really grateful for this experience now back home. I realize of course that may there are some settings where it's not as appropriate, but when I can, meals alone for example, I really enjoy putting my silverware down and digging in with my fingers.

Comments

  1. ShawnApril 26, 2018 at 12:54 PM

    I have traveled quite a bit as well and, like you noticed, that different cultures tend to eat their food in varying ways. Eating and food is definitely a large part of what defines culture. From India I remember that eating solely with your right hand is considered polite, and that scooping instead of picking up food from share plates was considered common courtesy.

    In rural Thailand, the oldest would be served first, eating would often be on the ground with a mat laid out, and feet must never be pointed at each other out of respect (in Buddhism, feet are considered the most unclean part of the body). I digress -- to bring this back to the sense of touch, I'd like to talk about the part of the presentation that made us *feel* the sensation of food on our tongues.

    I wonder if cultures find different textures more appreciable than others. I feel as if taste, for the most part, is a sense that's pretty common from culture to culture. However I feel as if touch is different. For example, the taro root is a common starch vegetable in parts of the world. To those who have eaten a lot of taro for most of their lives, they perhaps consider or relate the texture to nutrients and tastefulness. But if someone who has not eaten a taro root before would find it bland and tasteless.

    Just some thoughts!

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