Food and Utensils

[rajagainstthemachine]

MOD NOTE: Thread split off from http://forum.singaporeexpats.com/ftopic ... asc-0.html

Indians are notorious for speaking in alien tongues among themselves esp when there is a majority of one too many speakers of that tongue in that group.
however outside of India, I've noticed they stick to English. if it does happen abroad usually the conversation is in Hindi.


I'm posting from Bangalore right now, I've noticed more and more people adapting to chopsticks here, 5 years ago, one had to request for a pair, now they are at every table.
On this very topic about cutlery, I am cool with using an weapon of choice when attacking the food, noodles can be eaten with a fork if they can't be eaten with chopsticks, I have seen people in Singapore eat roti parata with a fork and spoon and I can't seem to work out this amusing choice for eating something that should be eaten with hands.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Probably similar to eating French Toast. You don't normally pick up French Toast to eat, but use a knife & fork. I use me fingers with roti or curries (if forced to eat rice), but use at least a fork when eating murtabak. Curries normally fingers & French loaf.

[zzm9980]

Just curious if WD40 has visited Hong Kong yet. We had a thread like this maybe six months ago and I remember questioning his strong 'opinions' and he admitted that, he had never been to Hong Kong and his opinions were formed solely based on what he's read and his friend told him.

[Mi Amigo]

But he has been to Sydney - and he even went on a bus there!

[x9200]

[..]I could never understand how somebody living few good years in Singapore can not use chopsticks. We go out with some colleagues for a lunch, eat the same food in a Chinese restaurant and only Indians have problem with the utensils. It is not really a bad thing, just odd, Personally, I would be embarrassed. But this is a bit digressing from the topic.

If you are not an eater of noodles then why would you ever use chopsticks.

I have some colleagues who cant use a knife and fork , I just put it down to never eating anything where a knife and fork would be required.

Because this is a nice part of the culture and the whole Chinese dining process/ritual is a bit designed to use the chopsticks. If one decides to take part in it, it would seem natural to learn some basic skills, especially they are not that difficult to learn. It is a part of the eating etiquette.

[nakatago]

I have seen people in Singapore eat roti parata with a fork and spoon and I can't seem to work out this amusing choice for eating something that should be eaten with hands.

I do it but only because I don't have tissue to clean my hands with or I'm just lazy to clean up afterwards. I'm just not a eat-with-hands person unless I'm at home.

And about Indians' desensitized tongues: it can be quite amusing when an Indian has no choice but to eat Japanese food.

About chopsticks: up to this day, I'm still wondering what was going on in the mind of the person who invented them. It's not really intuitive to learn and the guy must've had a hell of time convincing others to learn to use them.

[zzm9980]

I have seen people in Singapore eat roti parata with a fork and spoon and I can't seem to work out this amusing choice for eating something that should be eaten with hands.

I do it but only because I don't have tissue to clean my hands with or I'm just lazy to clean up afterwards. I'm just not a eat-with-hands person unless I'm at home.

And about Indians' desensitized tongues: it can be quite amusing when an Indian has no choice but to eat Japanese food.

About chopsticks: up to this day, I'm still wondering what was going on in the mind of the person who invented them. It's not really intuitive to learn and the guy must've had a hell of time convincing others to learn to use them.

Agreed on prata. Often it's just that I don't want my hands covered in grease and curry and then to have to wipe my hands on my pants. If it was easier to find sanitary wash basins or useful tissues in your average hawker center, this might be different.

Chopsticks make sense from a historic perspective. It was damn easier to construct those thousands of years ago than forks, spoons, or knives.

[JR8]

I have seen people in Singapore eat roti parata with a fork and spoon and I can't seem to work out this amusing choice for eating something that should be eaten with hands.

I do it but only because I don't have tissue to clean my hands with or I'm just lazy to clean up afterwards. I'm just not a eat-with-hands person unless I'm at home.

And about Indians' desensitized tongues: it can be quite amusing when an Indian has no choice but to eat Japanese food.

About chopsticks: up to this day, I'm still wondering what was going on in the mind of the person who invented them. It's not really intuitive to learn and the guy must've had a hell of time convincing others to learn to use them.

For prata I'll go with hands or fork and spoon. The decider is whether there is facility to wash my hands afterwards. Having greasy/curry-gravy fingers afterwards is not ideal.

I was struck by the use of the word 'should be eaten with hands' as it is surely just a social convention from the dishes country of origin.

On the same terms, you should only ever eat sushi with your fingers. And how one might (should? ) laugh at the gaijin battling away with their chopsticks. You should also eat pieces of sushi in single mouthfuls, none of this prissy-gaijin holding it (hopefully/hopelessly) in chopsticks, whilst battling to bite half the piece off. You think the JPnese do such impossible things?

Chopsticks originated as cooking utensils, we have a pair, big buggers, about 18" long! Quite how they morphed into eating utensils instead of more practical/simple utensils is another matter, and beyond me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-fYp_N9kX4
'You're Doing It All Wrong - How to (Properly) Eat Sushi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-o-2U1WXTk
'How to eat Sushi'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOwIHtpgo0s
Japanese Culture: Learn How to Eat Sushi the Right Way!

Typically weird Japanese humour...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc6v8IUe_0g
'How to eat at a Sushi Bar

[nakatago]

On the same terms, you should only ever eat sushi with your fingers. And how one might (should? ) laugh at the gaijin battling away with their chopsticks. You should also eat pieces of sushi in single mouthfuls

I'd still use chopsticks; sticky rice and longer reach!

[JR8]

On the same terms, you should only ever eat sushi with your fingers. And how one might (should? ) laugh at the gaijin battling away with their chopsticks. You should also eat pieces of sushi in single mouthfuls

I'd still use chopsticks; sticky rice and longer reach!

The irony is that if you ate sushi with your hands, most places outside of Japan, you'd probably be looked upon as some kind of freak.

Funny old world eh?

[Wd40]

Just curious if WD40 has visited Hong Kong yet. We had a thread like this maybe six months ago and I remember questioning his strong 'opinions' and he admitted that, he had never been to Hong Kong and his opinions were formed solely based on what he's read and his friend told him.

Waiting for my daughter to be slightly older, so that she can enjoy the disney land or until I get a job offer that is too good to refuse

[the lynx]

I have seen people in Singapore eat roti parata with a fork and spoon and I can't seem to work out this amusing choice for eating something that should be eaten with hands.

I do it but only because I don't have tissue to clean my hands with or I'm just lazy to clean up afterwards. I'm just not a eat-with-hands person unless I'm at home.

And about Indians' desensitized tongues: it can be quite amusing when an Indian has no choice but to eat Japanese food.

About chopsticks: up to this day, I'm still wondering what was going on in the mind of the person who invented them. It's not really intuitive to learn and the guy must've had a hell of time convincing others to learn to use them.

For prata I'll go with hands or fork and spoon. The decider is whether there is facility to wash my hands afterwards. Having greasy/curry-gravy fingers afterwards is not ideal.

I was struck by the use of the word 'should be eaten with hands' as it is surely just a social convention from the dishes country of origin.

On the same terms, you should only ever eat sushi with your fingers. And how one might (should? ) laugh at the gaijin battling away with their chopsticks. You should also eat pieces of sushi in single mouthfuls, none of this prissy-gaijin holding it (hopefully/hopelessly) in chopsticks, whilst battling to bite half the piece off. You think the JPnese do such impossible things?

Chopsticks originated as cooking utensils, we have a pair, big buggers, about 18" long! Quite how they morphed into eating utensils instead of more practical/simple utensils is another matter, and beyond me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-fYp_N9kX4
'You're Doing It All Wrong - How to (Properly) Eat Sushi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-o-2U1WXTk
'How to eat Sushi'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOwIHtpgo0s
Japanese Culture: Learn How to Eat Sushi the Right Way!

Typically weird Japanese humour...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc6v8IUe_0g
'How to eat at a Sushi Bar

My go-to for sushi know-how:

[sundaymorningstaple]

I was told much the same about the proper way of using chopsticks all those years ago in VN where I learned from the locals. Best advice was " there is no right or wrong way of eating with chopsticks if you can get the food from the plate, bowl or common dish and into the mouth without dropping it. Some pairs of chopsticks actually have one pointed end and one flat ended stick, the better to pick up those pesky button and/or shitake mushrooms in the slipper slop and or picking up fish/meat balls. If you can pick up boiled peanuts one at a time and get it into the mouth, you can use chopsticks. I don't use the conventional grip but mine works fine for me.

[JR8]

Just curious if WD40 has visited Hong Kong yet. We had a thread like this maybe six months ago and I remember questioning his strong 'opinions' and he admitted that, he had never been to Hong Kong and his opinions were formed solely based on what he's read and his friend told him.

Waiting for my daughter to be slightly older, so that she can enjoy the disney land or until I get a job offer that is too good to refuse

Unexpected side-connection:
I visited Tokyo Disneyland, with colleagues from my office (all JP ladies (some uber-hot)). We had lunch there. I inadvertently left my chopsticks positioned into the bowl of ramen. Cue, mass horror/sharp intakes of breath/hands over mouth from the girls. 'Oh look at the gaijin! This is how you leave an offering of food at a grave. You can not do this!'.

A cultural minefield but very fun place none the less

[JR8]

Straw mushrooms, esp young one when like greased marbles, are the hardest thing on earth to eat with chopsticks...