Sorry I guess I don't know what I am doing, since after looking all over this site for hours, and others too I can't find my answer. Please help! What I want to know is what countries / religions eat with their hand in Asia? I know that some people in Bangladesh eat with their right hand, but I can't find any real statistics or practices about this. I think it this is for religious reasons, but don't know what religion. A point in the right direction would be appreciated! Thanks!
ANNA
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Eating with your hand in Asia
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#2 Guest_Larry_*
Guest_Larry_*
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Posted 28 March 2004 - 04:25 PM
: Sorry I guess I don't know what I am doing, since after
: looking all over this site for hours, and others too I
: can't find my answer. Please help! What I want to know
: is what countries / religions eat with their hand in
: Asia? I know that some people in Bangladesh eat with
: their right hand, but I can't find any real statistics
: or practices about this. I think it this is for
: religious reasons, but don't know what religion. A
: point in the right direction would be appreciated!
: Thanks!
: ANNA
I've lived in Asia for more than 25 years, and in every society I've experienced, some use their hands to eat...In Indonesia, most Muslims will use ONLY their right hand to eat or pass food with, because the left hand is used to clean your butt after going to the toilet... Eating only with your clean hand helped insure that fecal bacteria would not be passed to others in their food....Sanitation was, and still is, a major problem in most parts of Asia....
In fact, this is where the practice of cutting off the left hand of thieves...It's not to keep them from stealing, it's punishment in that this person can not share a meal with anyone, anymore. He is effectively ostrasized from society because of his 'dirty' eating habits......
Of course, I would never tell them that I am right-handed for EVERYTHING... :lol:
Anyway, eating with one's hand is common throughout most of Asia, and the Middle East. Many rice dishes, especially, are eaten with your hand simply because it's convenient to do, and makes cleaning up quite easy, especially in places where they don't use regular plates, preferring pieces of Banana leaves, which work great as waterproof and eco-friendly plates.. But, I think most every place that practices eating with your hand, have rules about your hands.. :)
: looking all over this site for hours, and others too I
: can't find my answer. Please help! What I want to know
: is what countries / religions eat with their hand in
: Asia? I know that some people in Bangladesh eat with
: their right hand, but I can't find any real statistics
: or practices about this. I think it this is for
: religious reasons, but don't know what religion. A
: point in the right direction would be appreciated!
: Thanks!
: ANNA
I've lived in Asia for more than 25 years, and in every society I've experienced, some use their hands to eat...In Indonesia, most Muslims will use ONLY their right hand to eat or pass food with, because the left hand is used to clean your butt after going to the toilet... Eating only with your clean hand helped insure that fecal bacteria would not be passed to others in their food....Sanitation was, and still is, a major problem in most parts of Asia....
In fact, this is where the practice of cutting off the left hand of thieves...It's not to keep them from stealing, it's punishment in that this person can not share a meal with anyone, anymore. He is effectively ostrasized from society because of his 'dirty' eating habits......
Of course, I would never tell them that I am right-handed for EVERYTHING... :lol:
Anyway, eating with one's hand is common throughout most of Asia, and the Middle East. Many rice dishes, especially, are eaten with your hand simply because it's convenient to do, and makes cleaning up quite easy, especially in places where they don't use regular plates, preferring pieces of Banana leaves, which work great as waterproof and eco-friendly plates.. But, I think most every place that practices eating with your hand, have rules about your hands.. :)
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