Sanjeev Sanyal responds to US man questioning eating with hands: ‘If you cannot bear to touch it…’

Sanjeev Sanyal responded to a US man questioning why Indians ate with their hands, offering a simple explanation that sparked reactions.

Economist Sanjeev Sanyal has sparked a conversation on social media after responding to a US man who questioned the practice of eating food with one’s hands. Sanyal offered a simple explanation, suggesting that being comfortable touching food could itself be a test of whether one should eat it.

Sanjeev Sanyal’s reply to a US man asking why Indians ate with their hands went viral.

The exchange began with a video shared by a Florida-based man named Aka. The clip appeared to show a South Indian wedding or traditional gathering, where a couple could be seen having a meal with their hands.

Sharing the video, the man asked: "Seriously question, why do they all eat with their hands?"

The post, originally shared in November 2025, later caught the attention of Sanyal, who responded with his own take on the practice.

Sanjeev Sanyal offers a ‘simple test’

Quote-posting the video, Sanyal wrote: "It is a simple test..... if you cannot bear to touch it, and need metal instruments, then it is probably a bad idea to put it in your mouth."

His response quickly gained traction online, with the quote-post amassing more than 284,000 views and prompting reactions from social media users.

Eating with hands is a familiar practice across several parts of India, particularly for traditional meals served on banana leaves or thalis. Sanyal’s remark, however, approached the practice from a different perspective, framing it as a straightforward way of looking at the relationship between food, touch and eating.

Social media users react

Several users appeared to agree with Sanyal’s reasoning. Reacting to his post, one person wrote, “That’s actually a pretty solid point.” Another added, “Simple logic, but it makes sense.”

Others praised the way Sanyal framed his response. “This is the best explanation I’ve seen,” one user commented, while another pointed to the experience of eating Indian cuisine by hand, writing, “Indian food just tastes better this way.”

A fifth user was impressed by the economist’s response and simply wrote, “What a reply sir!”