In this modern age, is it still etiquette to not use the left hand when eating for cultures like Indian, Persian / middle east, Afghan?

I find it cumbersome at best to eat certain foods like gyros / falafel in pita bread, dosas, and such with just the right hand.

I don't go out to eat often. And when I do, it's only occasionally persian / indian type of food. But I do like the pita sandwiches and dosas. I just don't know the modern etiquette for using the left hand. At least in the US.

I noticed that the fennel seeds when leaving the restaurant - people used a spoon to place the seeds into their left hand. Not sure if that's an exception or a sign that the left hand is no longer forbidden.

I'll use whichever hand I please and I'll use a knife, fork and spoon when everyone else is using chopsticks or whatever (including when I am being told I must not use utensils, but rather use my hands like a barbarian), or, if it's a sandwich or something of that kind, I'll use either or both hands as I see fit, because that's my culture; that's how I was raised. This goes, no matter what and no matter where.

I don't tell other people how to eat and I demand the same respect from them.

I'm not a diplomat visiting a foreign nation. I'm an American living in America, where I was born and raised.

That's the way I feel, at least in the US. When I eat crepes in a western restaurant, I'll use fork in left and knife in right. But in the Indian restaurant to eat dosa, they didn't give me a knife. I looked around and everyone was using the right hand only to tear pieces off. I'm not that dexterous and didn't want to get my hands greasy (the dosa was filled with mashed potato) - wanted to use a knife and fork.

But looking around - not sure if people were eating that way just out of habit or because of current etiquette.

I just don't understand the persistence of the etiquette in a modern, first world country regardless of culture if it's still expected.

I don’t like touching my food with my hands, especially greasy food.

I’m right handed. I understand the cultural preference that people eat with their right hand because they use their left hand to wipe their ass. To humiliate thieves, they chop off the right hand so they have to eat with the same hand they use to wipe their ass. The deal is, I’m so right handed, I use my right hand to also wipe me ass. I was never taught to use my left hand.

But my advantage is I also use toilet paper between my hand and my ass when I’m wiping my ass. Also, for hygiene, I wash my hands every other time I go to the bathroom; that way, I’m conserving water also.

Etiquette, cultural preference, WTF...All of that shit is limited to the place setting/utensil placement on the table! Once you pick them up, do whatever works for you, and eat with whatever hand you're comfortable with! I happen to use a fork with my left hand because in my case, that's the hand with superior dexterity. I use a knife with my right hand because that's my strong side/hand. While this happens to be the norm in the US, I could give a shit if that wasn't the case. Don't over think it!

I like trying different things to mix it up a bit.

I had to wipe my ass with my left hand after right shoulder surgery.

Screw that, too.

Well, in the modern age, if you have a Toto toilet - 'look ma, no hands'

We have toilet paper so we don’t have to follow that nonsensical way.

Exactly. Which is why it doesn't make sense to follow this archaic mannerism in a first world country like the US where everyone basically has a modern toilet and toilet paper, soap and a sink.

Do kids who are born and raised here but w/ roots from regions that practice this still avoid their left hand? Or are they more assimilated? I'm not one for holding to tradition for traditions sake w/o any reasonable basis.

When in such public company, I excuse myself, go to the bathroom, return, announce that I may have touched myself and have not washed (as I am touching salt, pepper, condiment containers and what not), then pick up various pieces of my food with both hands, eat and lick my fingers.

If that doesn't set them off, I will grab the first waitress that arrives with pen and pad in hand, and ravish her on the table.
Life's too short to let a good "social fox pass" slip away...

(I fling poo with both hands...)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: sigmonkey,

One of my old managers used to work construction with a bunch of Indian guys. He said they'd bring two Igloo coolers to work. One had their lunch in it and the other was just warm water for them to wash their left hand in after wiping their ass.

All cultures are equal, indeed.

For the once a year occasion where I go out to dinner for a nice steak, i'll pick the bone up and gnaw on it. Then I ask them to wrap it up so the dog can finish it.

I dont give a hoot. I figure I'm paying for it, i'll do what I want.

If I'm at a formal meal with a client or similar, I dont need to be a knuckle dragger.

What I eat and how I eat it are among the most personal choices I make and no business of anyone else. There is one person on the planet who has no choice but to associate with me, and she’s smart and sensible enough for us to have gotten along just fine for 50+ years. Anyone who gets the heebie-jeebies by how I eat and tries to change it is just trying to validate their own existence by exerting control over someone other than their own pitiful self. That’s no different than person A having the arrogance to try to dictate what words I use when I’m talking to person B.

I’m also reminded of the controversies people would try to raise over the question of whether after cutting a piece of food with fork in left hand and knife in the right whether it was necessary to then transfer the fork to the right before eating. Anyone who has nothing more than that to worry about seriously needs to get a real life.

And as for objecting to using one hand for eating, I can make a clapping sound with one hand, but I certainly can’t wash one hand properly and effectively by itself. When I’m finished washing, whatever remained on my left hand is also now on my right. Plus, if someone doesn’t wash a hand properly, whatever was on that hand will end up on much more than his food—including things I may come in contact with. If I wanted to limit my associations with other people, that would be one excellent reason to do so.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by sigfreund:

I’m also reminded of the controversies people would try to raise over the question of whether after cutting a piece of food with fork in left hand and knife in the right whether it was necessary to then transfer the fork to the right before eating. Anyone who has nothing more than that to worry about seriously needs to get a real life.

As noted above, sometimes I’ll switch hands, sometimes I won’t. My understanding is that a German (European?) tradition is knife in the left hand, fork in the right. It often works just fine.

Then again, I’ll take a folding pocket knife that is razor sharp to a Resturant for eating my steak. Makes dinner a real pleasure.

quote:

Originally posted by P220 Smudge:
All cultures are equal, indeed.

But...diversity is our strength!

In a private home where I'm an honored guest, I'll try to do as they do. If I visit a foreign country and visit a restaurant there, same. In a restaurant in this country, I'll eat how I please. The proprietor(s) should know this, or they have no business opening a restaurant.

I’ve never reslly thought about it.

There is obviously no reason to be gratuitously offensive to other people or even just making them uncomfortable whether it’s eating in their presence or posting on an Internet forum. “Do unto others …” and all that which some people (claim to) believe is the proper way of acting. If I were sitting down in a diplomatic meeting with a bunch of Afghan tribal leaders I would try to fit in as well as I could.

But to return to the original question about what is proper etiquette in certain cultures, I no longer know, but would try to find out at the time if I knew that I would be interacting with them.

Any restaurant that serves a gyro, it doesn't matter which hand you eat with!!!! I wouldn't worry what people think.

I’m left-handed for writing and eating, but use my right hand for everything else, to include wiping my butt WITH toilet paper.

25 years ago, I broke (shattered bone) my left wrist on a slip-and-fall on ice. My left arm had an an external fixator (think personal towel bar) attachment which immobilized my left hand, requiring 5 months rehab.

It wasn’t too bad for everyday requirements, but I wouldn’t advise trying to eat soup with a spoon with your non-dominant hand.