Japan’s Ambassador to India, ONO Keiichi, recently shared his experience of eating biryani with his hands and his post has won people over. He was seen eating the dish the traditional way while in Delhi.
“Tried eating biryani by hand — following my Indian friends,” the ambassador tweeted. He posted a video which shows an individual teaching him how to eat biryani with his hands. The man shows him how to pick up the rice and put it in his mouth. Nodding his head in understanding, the diplomat follows.
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How did he like it?
He compared the experience of eating biryani to that of eating the famous Japanese dish, sushi, and said that eating the Indian dish with his hands was better. “Like sushi, it tastes even better when eaten by hand.”
The diplomat further posted, “I feel I’ve come a little closer to my friends!” He added one line in Telugu, which, when translated, reads “very good”.
{{/usCountry}}The diplomat further posted, “I feel I’ve come a little closer to my friends!” He added one line in Telugu, which, when translated, reads “very good”.
{{/usCountry}}He concluded the post with a picture of New Delhi’s Andhra Bhavan, where he had the biryani.
Social media reacts:
An individual posted, “It’s not the gesture of eating by hand, but your warmth and openness that truly bring people closer.” Another commented, “Yes, eating with your hands makes the food more tasty. Great to see you have your food like Indians do.”
A third expressed, “Great to see you embrace a different culture so gracefully! This is exactly why Indians love the Japanese and your culture. Kudos to your spirit!”
A fourth wrote, “Yep! You’ve got the technique down! Just grasp a handful and put it in, keep the mess to a minimum and you can go and wash hands once more afterwards. Good on ya for reaching out across the divide to a different culture.”
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This is not the first time ONO Keiichi was seen enjoying biryani. Last year, during an official visit to Telangana, he enjoyed the traditional Indian dish at a 25-year-old biryani hotspot.
At that time, he tweeted a picture of himself eating the dish with a spoon and a fork. He wrote, “Enjoyed authentic Hyderabadi biryani during visit to Telangana! Amazed by its rich spices and bold flavors — ‘truly addictive!’.”