According to Ayurveda, a healthy diet and routine are essential. Eating wisely is one of the most important things you can do for your health. Healing through food, forms a core component of Ayurveda. And the healthier you eat, the more you believe in the philosophy, that food is indeed medicine.
A healthy diet contains a balanced amount of all nutrients, with no excess or deficiency. It is difficult to maintain health in the absence of rational eating habits. But once you have sorted out your menu, do not forget to take into account some of the dining etiquettes. Rules and rituals that actually go back centuries.
Here is a list of Indian dining etiquettes that are approved by Ayurveda.
1. Eat With Hands
In India, the traditional method of eating is to pick up food with your hands. When eating with your hands, the best technique is to join all of your fingers together and pick up food with only the tips of your fingers. This is thought to improve our awareness of the taste of food in India.
Eating with your hands also directs your attention to the food in front of you, allowing you to concentrate on temperature, portion sizes, and technique.
Not all Indian foods, however, should be eaten with the hands. Spoons can be used if the food is soupy, as in many dals. It is acceptable to use flatbreads such as chapati, roti, or naan to gather food and sop up gravies and curries when they are served with the meal. Allowing your palms or the outsides of your fingers to become stained is considered bad manners.
2. Wash Hands Before Meal
Whether you eat with cutlery or not, you are required to wash your hands before and after each meal. This benefits first and foremost food safety and your overall health.
A common misconception about Indian food and Indian street food is that they are both the result of unsanitary cooking conditions and cause upset stomachs. However, many stomach upsets are caused by bacteria on our own hands, which can be avoided by washing properly.
Although hand hygiene is important in Indian dining, cleaning your right hand with a cloth or napkin is considered unsanitary. Using napkins, like using cutlery, is becoming increasingly common in India's F&B scene. The best etiquette choice is to wash your hands with soap and water before and after each meal.
3. No Sharing Of Utensils
Food sharing is highly valued in Indian culture. If you go to an Indian restaurant with a friend and order different dishes, it is customary for you to share your dish with the other. However, remember to only share from the serving dish or bowl and not from your plate. Taking food from someone else's plate is also considered impolite. Also, it is considered highly unsanitary to dip your used spoon and fork into other people's food or the main serving dish.
4. Use Of Right Hand
Always eat with your right hand in India. Even if you're left-handed, you must eat with your right hand. The use of the left hand is considered unclean and offensive by Indians. As a result, the left hand remains dry and is only used to drink water or pass dishes.
5. Sitting Cross-Legged
The cross-legged position improves blood circulation in our bodies by calming the nerves and releasing tension. It keeps the heart healthy because when we sit, there is less pressure on our bodies and the heart. Blood flow is distributed evenly throughout the body in Sukhasana.
6. Mind Should Not Be Distracted
While dining anywhere be it a restaurant or your home, your key focus should always be on your meal. In the era of social media, it is a common sight to see one eating from one hand and using a phone with the other. It is considered to be an insult to food if you indulge in any other activity while eating. It also wastes time as you are focusing on two activities at the same time.