# 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:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-with-your-hands/609894/21 "2012-01-18T15:45:07Z")
you don’t need utensils and you don’t need napkins (you just keep complimenting the people next to you and pat them on the back frequently). ---
**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, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-with-your-hands/609894/22 "2012-01-18T15:54:45Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > But then if you’ve got food all over your hands, you can’t scratch your ass without staining your pants. On second thought, I take it back. Since you’re not using the fork for anything else… ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-with-your-hands/609894/23 "2012-01-18T15:55:48Z")
I’ll eat finger foods with my hands, but the idea that it’s somehow more a connection to the food is pretentious nonsense. I don’t like getting grease on my hands. ---
**Author:** ![Sister\_Vigilante](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Sister\_Vigilante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sister_Vigilante)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-with-your-hands/609894/24 "2012-01-18T16:00:53Z")
I eat cheesy poofs (or whatever they’re really called) Rainman style - with a toothpick. The guy had the right idea. You can eat all you want without ever making your fingers orange. Good for when you’re on the computer. Eating foreign foods with my hands would get messy I think. Those countries who do it (at least from what I’ve seen on Andrew Zimmern’s show) also require you use your right hand, because your left one is what you wipe your butt with and they don’t want you sticking that hand in the food. Zimmern is left handed (so am I) and although they try to correct him many times, he still often forgets and they just tolerate it. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-with-your-hands/609894/25 "2012-01-18T16:34:21Z")
I think it can slightly increase the sensual pleasure, in some cases. Think of a wonderful rack of lamb, and being able to pick up the bone, and eat it with your hands rather than cutting of pieces with a knife and fork. Further, you can get at the tastiest parts that are right on the bone. Maybe part of it is that you are smelling the whole thing while eating it, and smell is a crucial part of taste. I assume that these chefs are also preparing said food so that it lends itself to be eaten by hand… ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-with-your-hands/609894/26 "2012-01-18T16:36:51Z")
Some foods really are better eaten by hand (watching someone cut the meat off their ribs is just sad…). Indian foods work well this way, although I admit to only partaking by hand if I have naan or chapati or dosa or something to use as a napkin/food grabber/sopper. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-with-your-hands/609894/27 "2012-01-18T17:12:07Z")
stuff like nigiri/maki sushi, sure I’ll eat with my hands. but stuff like a steak, or mashed potatoes, or stews/soups? nope. > [@Scumpup](#): > > 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. it’s a bit of a nitpick, but Coney dogs are usually meant to be eaten w/ knife and fork since trying to pick them up would lead to a big mess. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-with-your-hands/609894/28 "2012-01-18T17:29:26Z")
If the food is conducive to it, you bet your butt I would. Hell, I often do gnaw on bones or toss down a few strands of pasta by hand anyway (at home, where it doesn’t matter if I’m uncouth or not.) And yeah, it is a more visceral experience than using utensils. ---
**Author:** ![ashtayk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e68b1a/32.png) [@ashtayk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ashtayk)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-with-your-hands/609894/29 "2012-01-18T18:33:13Z")
I can definitely attest to the fact that eating _South_ Indian food with your hands does make a difference to the taste. South Indian food (lunches and dinners) is mainly rice based that is mixed mostly with some “sambar” (soupy/wet curry type dish) with some dry vegetable dishes on the side. The rice, in most cases is lumpy and you need your fingers to break it down while mixing the soupy thing in it. If you use a spoon/fork to do the mixing you will get lumps of rice that taste bland. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-with-your-hands/609894/30 "2012-01-18T19:16:30Z")
As a way to somehow become more connected to the dining experience? No that is just silly. But some foods simply require a hands on method of eating. Like a good hard shell crab, Dungeness or King. A knife and fork are not going to get you there, you need to crack and pull and savor the taste of butter and crab on your fingers. BBQ ribs can be partially eaten with knife and fork but you do need to gnaw on that bone too. And there is an old joke: Should fried chicken be eaten with the fingers? No, the fingers should be eaten separately. Or something like that. I’d really like to see a video of not using your hands to eat popcorn. Do you form it into cakes and serve it with a light remoulade? ---
**Author:** ![slm2955](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c6cbf5/32.png) [@slm2955](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slm2955)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-with-your-hands/609894/31 "2012-01-18T19:17:31Z")
I eat rice with my hands…dont ask me why… ---
**Author:** ![slm2955](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c6cbf5/32.png) [@slm2955](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slm2955)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-with-your-hands/609894/32 "2012-01-18T19:18:32Z")
> [@Max\_Torque](#): > > Okay, I’m gonna try this. Today’s lunch is chicken noodle soup. I’ll let y’all know how it turns out. LOL please do. ---
**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, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-with-your-hands/609894/33 "2012-01-18T19:45:02Z")
> [@Dr.Righteous](#): > > What’s your method of eating popcorn? I’m imagining you picking it up kernel by kernel with chopsticks… That exactly. Although not necessarily kernel by kernel, can get a decent clump often enough. ---
**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, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-with-your-hands/609894/34 "2012-01-18T20:21:16Z")
> [@slm2955](#): > > LOL please do. Well, what happened was: a lot of frustration, followed by splashing as I attempted to use my palms as improvised spoons. I’m pretty sure everyone at work now thinks I’m either a werewolf or a soup rapist. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-with-your-hands/609894.md?page=1)