indians and their practice of eating with the hand

It was Christmas day and I was at a party at my boss's. The party was great, but I did not know most people. It did not help that some people did not know much English. But, the food was great. I was having a bean casserole and was at the same time listening to my boss telling his girl friends parents how poor a country India was. To further corroborate his point, he told them that we are so poor that we do not use spoons or cutlery while having food.

Since, I was bored I drifted into my own thoughts and experiences. I have been in the US for more than 3 years now and I was born an Indian. I have had the opportunity to use cutlery as well as hands. I must accept that there is indeed a difference. The food tastes different. In India eating food is perceived as an activity that should involve most of the sensory organs. So, apart from seeing food, tasting it and smelling it we Indians also touch it.

Moreover, I would also like to ask how many Americans eat a tortilla with a knife and a fork. Many Indian foods such as naan or roti are similar to the tortillas and are best eaten with the hand. In fact, Indians break the bread dip it in curry or chutney before eating it. Similarly we Indians blend the rice with curries so that each mouthful is unique.

Hmmm.....now did I tell my boss all of this? Naah...too much explaining