Archive · 6 Sep 2026
Sanjeev Sanyal Defends Indians Eating Food With Their Hands
Sanjeev Sanyal defended the Indian custom of eating some foods with the hands.
A person from the United States had questioned this practice.
Sanyal said people often eat foods like pizza and burgers with their hands too.
He suggested that unfamiliarity may be mistaken for a hygiene problem.
Many Indian foods are mixed together on one plate.
Using the fingers can help people feel and combine the food.
Supporters said the practice is hygienic when hands are washed properly.
Some also said it can avoid cutlery, detergent, and plastic waste.
Sanjeev Sanyal responded to a US critic questioning why Indians eat some foods with their hands.
Sanyal argued that avoiding direct contact with food while using metal utensils may reflect unfamiliarity rather than hygiene concerns.
He noted that the same critic would likely eat pizza, doughnuts, bread, and burgers with his hands.
Indian social media users defended the practice as natural and hygienic when hands are washed properly.
Supporters also cited sensory enjoyment, reduced utensil use, and the biodegradability of eating from banana leaves.
- Who
- Sanjeev Sanyal, a US critic, and Indian social media users.
- What
- An online exchange about why Indians eat some foods with their hands.
- When
- September 5, 2026, when Sanyal posted his response.
- Where
- Online, during a wider discussion about Indian eating customs.
- Why
- Sanyal argued that criticism of the practice may reflect unfamiliarity and inconsistent standards about eating food by hand.
Cultural Defense
Criticism and Concern
Hygiene and familiarity
Cultural Defense
Sanyal and his supporters said eating with washed hands is natural and hygienic, and argued that criticism may stem from unfamiliarity with mixing foods by hand.
Criticism and Concern
The US critic questioned why Indians eat with their hands, reflecting concerns or skepticism about direct contact with food.
Consistency of eating etiquette
Cultural Defense
Supporters pointed out that people commonly eat foods such as pizza, burgers, sandwiches, tacos, sushi, and kebabs with their hands.
Criticism and Concern
The criticism distinguished, or appeared to distinguish, Indian meals eaten by hand from other foods commonly eaten without cutlery.
- Main speaker
- Sanjeev Sanyal
- Topic
- Eating Indian food with the hands
- Original post date
- September 5, 2026
- Cultural setting
- Meals served on banana leaves or in traditional thalis
- Hygiene view
- Supporters said the practice is hygienic when hands are washed properly
- Foods cited as commonly eaten by hand
- Pizza, doughnuts, bread, burgers, sandwiches, tacos, sushi, and kebabs
- Environmental argument
- A user said eating from a banana leaf can involve no cutlery, detergent, or plastic and uses a biodegradable surface