In defence of eating with hands: Culture, science and colonial politics amid Zohran Mamdani backlash

The National

3 days ago

When New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani was recently criticised online for eating with his hands, the backlash revealed more than just a cultural misunderstanding; it exposed lingering colonial biases around dining etiquette.
Eating with one's hands is not only normal, but deeply rooted in tradition, wellness practices and social ritual for millions across the South Asia, the Middle East, South-east Asia and Africa.
In the West, however, eating without cutlery is often viewed through a lens of primitivism – unless, of course, the menu includes "finger food" such as pizza, tacos, fried chicken or burgers.
The contradiction is telling – certain foods (and diners) get a cultural pass, while others carry the baggage of perceived "uncivilised" behaviour.
But Charles Spence, professor of experimental psychology at University of Oxford, UK, and author of Gastrophysics, believes that 'we eat first with the hand'.
'Certainly that was once true. Over recent centuries, a range of utensils, first the knife, then spoon, and slowly the fork have come to intervene between Western diners and their food. Who ever thought cold stainless steel or shiny silver cutlery would actually enhance the taste of food? Rather it separates us from what we eat,' he says.
In much of Western society, however, eating with the hands has long drawn scorn, and been seen as uncouth or unsanitary – a view rooted in colonial-era ideas of civility and class. Cutlery became a marker of refinement and social status as formal dining rituals evolved in the 18th and 19th centuries, creating a stark contrast with hand-eating cultures, often labelled 'primitive' or 'unhygienic'.
As far back as 1897, Mrs CE Humphry declared in Manners for Men that only 'bread, biscuits, olives, asparagus, celery and bonbon' were acceptable to touch with one's fingers. Around that time, cutlery sets among the Western upper classes ballooned in size, sometimes including about 100 specialised utensils.
Decades later, etiquette began to loosen. DeBrett's Guide to Etiquette eventually gave its blessing to finger foods such as pizza, chicken wings, spare ribs and ice-cream cones – at least at informal gatherings.
But over centuries, nearly a third of the world's population, from Tanzania and India to Laos and the Middle East, never stopped eating traditional meals by hand. In the Philippines, Kamayan feasts (from kamay, meaning hand) bring families together to eat grilled meats, rice and seafood without utensils, an echo of pre-colonial tradition.
In India, scooping up rice with dal, sambar or curry is a generational practice. In the Middle East, biryani and kabsa are eaten communally by hand as a gesture of hospitality. In Ethiopia and Eritrea, injera serves as both plate and cutlery, used to scoop up stews and lentils, while West Africans eat dishes such as fufu and jollof rice by hand.
Hand-eating is personal and rich in ancestral meaning across these cultures, but continues to face stigma – revealing enduring colonial attitudes about etiquette, race and cultural superiority.
Yann Martel's protagonist Pi Patel says it all in The Life of Pi: 'My fingers, which a second before had been taste buds savouring the food a little ahead of my mouth, became dirty under his gaze. They froze like criminals caught in the act... I picked up the knife and fork. I had hardly ever used such instruments. My hands trembled. My sambar lost its taste.'
Numerous studies have showed that the direct tactile experience of eating with the hand can prime the brain for taste. Studies show this tactile interaction can create a deeper sensory connection, heighten anticipation and enhance satisfaction, Spence says.
In Mixing Methods, Tasting Fingers: Notes on an Ethnographic Experiment, University of Amsterdam researchers wrote that tasting does not start once relevant 'sense data' has reached the nostrils and tongue; there is already 'tasting' going on while food is still on the plate. 'As the fingers move, the mouth anticipates. As the mouth anticipates, the fingers work... Tasting, or so we would like to suggest, is not confined to a single moment. It is actively being done throughout this entire process.'
Aware of this, many contemporary chefs and culinary voices across the world are reclaiming hand-eating in fine dining. Asma Khan, the restaurateur behind London's popular Indian outpost Darjeeling Express, has been vocal about eating with hands and challenging colonial norms in British dining culture.
Fatmata Binta, a modern West African chef, sets up nomadic dining experiences where eating with hands is integral. In Dubai, chef Ross Shonhan, who believes that eating with hands can aid digestion, improve taste and redefine dining, launched a 10-course Japanese menu meant to eschew cutlery at his fine-dining Japanese restaurant, Netsu at the Mandarin Oriental Jumeira, Dubai.
Deepak Barua, executive chef at Anantara Kalutara Resort in Sri Lanka, has seen people enjoying their food by hand during his work at top hotels in Bhutan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and the UAE. 'These days, even Michelin star restaurants are serving some courses to be eaten by hand; this stimulates multiple senses, including taste and touch,' he says.
But, it's not just about awakening the senses. Ayurvedic and traditional medicine practitioners believe that eating by the hands is more beneficial to the body.
Gaurang Paneri, an Ayurvedic practitioner based in Rajasthan, India, explains that the practice is deeply rooted in Ayurvedic philosophy. 'Each of the five fingers represents one of the five elements – earth, water, fire, air and ether,' he says. 'Touch activates digestive enzymes, helps regulate portion control and enhances the overall sensory experience of eating. It also naturally aids digestion and satisfaction.'
Perhaps that's the reason the Hindi language has several distinct terms that describe different hand gestures used in dance and yoga poses, inspired by the act of eating, each tailored to the type of food being consumed. Ghronikah mudra involves bringing all five fingertips together like a delicate petal to scoop up rice and dal/curry. Annabhakshana mudra turns four fingers into a spoon, while the thumb helps guide a mix of curries, sambals and chutneys into the mouth. Kangulah mudra uses three fingers to grasp long, slender foods like celery or asparagus. And Kadambah mudra describes the cupped hand position used to hold ripe fruit for biting. Together, they elevate the practice into a refined and mindful ritual.
'Eating with hands also encourages hygiene awareness because one tends to be mindful about washing up before a meal. It may not always suit formal settings or fast-paced lifestyles, but incorporating it at home or during special meals can be a meaningful way to reconnect with heritage and health,' Barua says.
In her 2009 research article Eating with Your Hands, journalist Keridwen Cornelius writes that eating with your hands is a sensuous indulgence, a meeting of soul and skin. 'It's getting soaked in a monsoon, taking off your shoes and squishing wet sand between your toes, making mudpies, impaling raspberries on your fingertips and kissing them off one by one till your mouth is juicy and full,' she writes. "The mutual giving and receiving between fingers and tongue. Primal and earthy and natural.'
That pleasure goes back centuries, to the beginning of humankind and through medieval times.
After all, history has it that when Napoleon III of France met the Shah of Persia, they disagreed about the proper method of eating. The Shah, a guest, insisted on eating with his fingers despite the emperor urging him to use a golden fork. 'You don't know what a pleasure you are missing,' the Shah is said to have replied.
Kurush F Dalal, archaeologist and culinary anthropologist, sums it up: 'The modern day use of cutlery is a colonial hangover. We need to desperately disassociate it from any so-called etiquette. Why can we not eat and let eat?'