# Eating with your hands. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 18, 2012, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-with-your-hands/609894 "2012-01-18T12:17:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-with-your-hands/609894/1 "2012-01-18T12:17:12Z")
_Sarah DiGregorio writes in [The New York Times](http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/18/dining/mind-your-manners-eat-with-your-hands.html?_r=2&ref=global-home). “Now, several high-profile chefs are asking diners to get their hands dirty, in the belief that it heightens the sensual connection to food and softens the formality of fine dining.”_ Would you eat with your hands? Do you think it increases the connection with food? ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-with-your-hands/609894/2 "2012-01-18T12:22:30Z")
I’ll happily eat with my hands if the type of food I’m eating is suitable to be eaten by hand. I don’t think it increases/decreases the pleasure of eating at all, though. This sounds like another one of those gimmicks, like eating in the dark. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-with-your-hands/609894/3 "2012-01-18T12:30:59Z")
There is no way I could manipulate a knife and fork, or chopsticks, with my feet. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-with-your-hands/609894/4 "2012-01-18T12:59:51Z")
I’m Sicilian; of course I use my hands. If I eat pasta with my feet, it makes my socks turn orange. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-with-your-hands/609894/5 "2012-01-18T13:00:41Z")
> [@sandra\_nz](#): > > This sounds like another one of those gimmicks, like eating in the dark. Is that a real thing? They had it on an episode of “The League” and I thought they made it up as a joke. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-with-your-hands/609894/6 "2012-01-18T13:08:29Z")
> [@amanset](#): > > Is that a real thing? They had it on an episode of “The League” and I thought they made it up as a joke. [It’s a real thing.](http://www.danslenoir.com/london/) ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-with-your-hands/609894/7 "2012-01-18T13:14:06Z")
I can’t imagine it in a fine dining setting, but there are few pleasures as wonderful as the feral experience of ripping into a good steak (pig, cow or deer will do) that’s just been cooked over a campfire, nice and browned on the outside and juices dripping down your chin. Yeah, it tastes better than with a fork (plus it’s hard to juggle steak knives when you have no table to cut on.) ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-with-your-hands/609894/8 "2012-01-18T13:25:48Z")
It depends on the food. I eat pizza with my hands, of course; hummus, too. Other food, though… we’ll, I’ll use my hands to stuff my mouth with leftovers after my wife has gone to sleep, but around the table? No thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-with-your-hands/609894/9 "2012-01-18T14:33:02Z")
Indian food is often eaten by hand. I hate eating by hand. I’m very good at eating with only one hand and keeping one clean (to pick up the drink, etc.) And I wipe my hands constantly and use a lot of napkins. I hate the feeling of getting my fingers dirty. Pizza has a convenient handhold. ---
**Author:** ![Spectralist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Spectralist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectralist)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-with-your-hands/609894/10 "2012-01-18T14:36:08Z")
Never. I hate eating with my hands. I don’t even eat pizza or popcorn with my hands unless absolutely necessary. It certainly doesn’t improve the experience to get my hands dirty. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-with-your-hands/609894/11 "2012-01-18T14:37:36Z")
Some food is suitable for eating by hand, some is not. I don’t like getting my fingers dirty either, but people who eat a hot dog on a bun with a knife and fork make my ass itch. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-with-your-hands/609894/12 "2012-01-18T14:40:10Z")
I once ate at a Moroccan restaurant, and all the food was intended to be eaten with the hands. The waiter brought out one course which looked like a large pastry about 12" across, filled with meat and vegetables. I asked him how we should eat it, and he took my hand and jammed my fingers into the pastry; “Like that!” he replied. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-with-your-hands/609894/13 "2012-01-18T14:44:45Z")
When traveling I grew quite accustomed to eating strictly with my hands, in India and sometimes Muslim countries. I quite liked it, actually. Whenever I eat curry I want to use my hands, but I restrain myself, as I’m back home now. Except at my house, then I just have at it whenever the feeling strikes. (I assume we’re not speaking of ribs, corn on the cob, hot dogs, hamburgers?) ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-with-your-hands/609894/14 "2012-01-18T14:51:37Z")
> [@sandra\_nz](#): > > [It’s a real thing.](http://www.danslenoir.com/london/) I really don’t know what to say. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Righteous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Dr.Righteous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Righteous)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-with-your-hands/609894/15 "2012-01-18T14:59:11Z")
> [@Spectralist](#): > > I don’t even eat pizza or popcorn with my hands unless absolutely necessary. What’s your method of eating popcorn? I’m imagining you picking it up kernel by kernel with chopsticks… ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-with-your-hands/609894/16 "2012-01-18T15:06:57Z")
I’ve done the south Asian thing with rice and sloppy curry (India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal) and though I really tried, I just couldn’t get myself to enjoy it that way. I do the pinch-it-with-a-bit-of-naan with curries, which I like, but getting sauce all over my hands still feels gross. Years of being admonished by parents becomes imprinted, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-with-your-hands/609894/17 "2012-01-18T15:07:13Z")
Okay, I’m gonna try this. Today’s lunch is chicken noodle soup. I’ll let y’all know how it turns out. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-with-your-hands/609894/18 "2012-01-18T15:08:13Z")
> [@Dr.Righteous](#): > > What’s your method of eating popcorn? I’m imagining you picking it up kernel by kernel with chopsticks… Perhaps they do what I do - shove my tongue deep into the box and see how many stick to it. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-with-your-hands/609894/19 "2012-01-18T15:31:55Z")
> [@Dr.Righteous](#): > > What’s your method of eating popcorn? I’m imagining you picking it up kernel by kernel with chopsticks… I suspect a large funnel might be involved. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-with-your-hands/609894/20 "2012-01-18T15:42:21Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > I don’t like getting my fingers dirty either, but people who eat a hot dog on a bun with a knife and fork make my ass itch. But then if you’ve got food all over your hands, you can’t scratch your ass without staining your pants. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-with-your-hands/609894.md?page=2)