Are you eating like an Indian?

So you've been asked to join a meal at an Indian place or a North Indian restaurant in Brisbane. You may be thinking, " What do they have food? How do they eat? How do others sit? Will I be required to eat with my fingers?" You have come to the correct place. Before we begin, but, throw everything you believed about Indian food and it's culture (about food), out of your mind. Whether you are invited at home or an Indian restaurant in Redland bay, keep in mind some points.

The meal

Instead of individual servings, there will possibly be various dishes of food from which you can treat yourself. Most of the Indian meals, whether vegetarian or meat, comprise salad, yogurt, rice, Chapati (flatbread), vegetables, meat, and lentil dishes, and pickles.

Your meal will be served with water, but in present times, you could be presented with a glass of wine. Once you've been served or have served yourself, wait for everyone else to do so before you begin eating. It is not conventional to pray or make a toast, but that depends largely on your host.

While it is absolutely fair and acceptable to use your fork and knife to eat your food, most of the Indians prefer to eat with their bare fingers. In fact, there is a scientific study about how food tastes better when consumed with the fingers! It is done very neatly and only the tips of the fingers are utilized. It is not deemed polite, as opposed to common belief, to place your fingers in your mouth or lick them. So have your Indian takeaway in Brisbane the way we have told you. It may seem very gross, but you could try once.

Using the left hand is considered inauspicious, so avoid using it, unless, of course, you are a lefty; then nothing can be done. Most meals end with desserts, so keep space for a wide array of sweets in the end. Even tea or coffee is part of the ending.

Although these traditions don’t apply when you go to an Indian restaurant, it would be good to blend in with the culture. It opens the mind. Have some North Indian cuisine in Alexandra hills like this and feel the difference. Respect the culture and who knows, you may want more of that yummy food!