Cultures across the world differ greatly and when arriving at a new destination, adapting to the local way of living and etiquette can be tricky. Therefore, it can’t hurt to prepare yourself in advance by reading up on what you may or may not do in the country or region you’re visiting. Today, we’ll be looking at Indian dining etiquette so you’ll what to do, or not to do, when eating at a restaurant or when you’re invited to someone’s home.
1. Don’t turn down an invite
When you’re at someone’s house, especially a friend’s, chances are you’ll be invited to stay over for dinner. Hospitality is very important in India and sharing a meal with someone is an integral part of that. If you’re invited to come over later, however, don’t show up early. Try to be around 15 to 25 minutes late, in order to give your host enough time to prepare everything for your arrival.
2. Eat with your (right) hand
Even though you’ll find cutlery at Indian restaurants around the globe and in certain Indian cities, the Indian dining etiquette is not to use any. Dishes are designed to be served in bite-sized portions and whenever something is too liquid to eat with your fingers, it is generally served in a little bowl so you can drink it without any problem. Be aware though: only use your right hand to eat. The left hand shouldn’t touch any food and be kept lean to be used for drinking or for passing dishes around.
first time with indian food 🥘🍴 pic.twitter.com/h0z9c2pPPj
— blue water (@moohyungbbi) June 3, 2024
3. Wash up
Since, as explained above, Indian dining etiquette isn’t big on cutlery, it goes without saying that before having a seat at the table you have to wash your hands thoroughly.
4. Share your meal
Don’t be surprised if your plate is empty when you’re sat down. Indian food is served in bowls and on plates, which are shared with the table. Everyone takes what he or she desires. More often than not, a typical meal therefore consists of several different dishes.
5. Finish your plate
As said before, you’re not served a set quantity of something on your plate. You decide what you want to eat and how much. However, once you’ve put something on your plate, you’ll have to finish it – whether you like it or not. Otherwise, it is considered rude. Therefore, try small quantities first in order to be sure you like what you’re putting on your plate.
Also, when your host offers you more food, take some – unless you’re literally going to burst. Offering a guest more food is a sign of respect and being turned down is not taken lightly.
6. Pay compliments
During or at the end of the meal, don’t forget to pay compliments to your host or the cook. They have spent quite a bit of time preparing your meal so it’s the least you can do.
7. Don’t leave too early
Don’t just stand up when you finish eating, you should only leave the table once everyone is done eating. If that’s not possible, you should at least wait until the oldest person at the table finishes their meal.
