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‘At first it felt awkward’: French woman on rediscovering the joy of eating with hands in India
A French woman shared how living in India made her relearn eating with hands, calling it a sensory and cultural rediscovery.
A French woman who has been living in India for nearly two years recently shared her unique and heartfelt experience of relearning how to eat with her hands. Taking to X, Julia Chaigneau wrote,“I grew up eating pizza and burgers with a knife and fork. Not by choice, by ‘punishment’. In France, eating with your hands is considered ‘rude’ not to be mean just because of the culture.”
(Also read: French woman praises India’s street to fine-dining food culture: 'Never experienced something like this')
Chaigneau revealed that years later a friend in India reintroduced her to the practice. “At first it felt awkward, almost rebellious. Then something shifted. I could feel the heat before it burned my tongue. Sense textures. Mix flavours no fork ever allowed. I even wasted less,” she added.
Food as a multisensory experience
As a designer, Chaigneau said the experience changed her perception of food and design itself. “Re-experiencing food through senses beyond sight made me rethink, as a designer, how easy it is to overlook the power of our other senses in shaping experiences. I have tried to keep that in mind since then.”
She also shared two pictures alongside her post showing herself enjoying food the Indian way, using her hands.
Check out the post here:
Viral post sparks lively debate
Chaigneau’s candid reflection resonated with many, with the post garnering more than 37k views.
One user commented, “A pizza with a fork? I could never… Glad you’re enjoying it now.” Another recalled, “I have always loved to eat food with my hand and my mom tried her best to make me use a spoon or fork.”
Others drew attention to Indian habits, with one saying, “There is a group in India who eat dosa with knife and fork.” Another chimed in, “Hands are the most efficient tools that nature equipped us with.”
The conversation continued with another user sharing, “Cutting by fork and knife and eating by hand… that’s how I enjoy my pizza.”
