Why is eating rice with hands considered uncivilized by westerners?

 

Touching food other than a knife and fork is considered impolite in France. Long ago, the old-fashioned French thought that eating with their hands was something only uncivilized humans could do.

The last sentence I heard maybe ten years ago at a banquet. A father scolds his 6 year old son for eating sausages with his hands. He said, "Use a fork! We are civilized people." Hearing those words, I immediately left the dining table. I don't want to share food with an idiot like him.

Eating with hands is natural while eating with utensils is culture. If in France eating with a fork and knife has become a habit, actually in history for a very long time, before they used cutlery, they used their hands. Even Louis the 14th still ate with his hands, although the queen used a fork to pick up dishes to put in her mouth.

The prohibition of touching food with hands developed since the publication of the book La Civilité puérile , written by Didier Erasme which explains how table etiquette is for the aristocracy. In his book Erasme compares humans to animals. The fork is a tool that distinguishes humans from animals. Civilized people who are part of a high social class must follow the etiquette of eating as he suggests to distinguish them from the village people. Actually the use of cutlery is also considered better for reasons of cleanliness. Little by little, the habits of the nobles were followed by the common people and eventually became the domination of this nation.

Time passes, habits become culture. And French people today are even more confused when asked what foods can be eaten with their hands. Because for them this is not only disrespectful, it is no longer natural for them. They were shocked and upset to see Americans eating burgers and fries with their hands. English people also think the same, Americans don't know how to eat properly they say. Indeed, sometimes I am also amazed to see French people peel apples with a fork and knife without touching the fruit with their hands. The impression is very elegant.

But that's okay, don't feel inferior to the culture of eating with hands that we have. Many recent studies say that eating with your hands has many positive effects, especially for sending signals of satisfaction to the brain. Besides that, Caucasians will also not look down on us because of this habit, because most of them are already aware that there is no higher civilization and culture.