Different cultures around the world have a wide range of eating etiquettes and cutlery uses. While some cultures consider eating with hands to be good, others believe it is not. If you are going to Thailand, you may want to know if Thai people eat with their hands or not.
Historically, Thais used to eat with only their hands, but things have changed significantly. Nowadays, in most cases, Thai people use cutleries when they are eating, but there are some dishes that they eat with their hands. Therefore, it can be concluded that Thai people eat with their hands.
Given this, if you see people eating with their hands in Thailand, you should not be surprised. Nonetheless, there are a few other things you have to know about the eating etiquette of Thai people. So, this article will explain everything.
History of eating with hands in Thailand
Before explaining the food that Thais eat with their hands, it is vital to shed more light on the history of eating with their hands in Thailand. According to Siam.recipes, Thais used to eat with their hands in the past. In fact, the culture of eating with a spoon and fork was borrowed from the West.
As noted by historians, King Rama IV took several steps to prevent Thailand from falling into the hands of colonial masters that overtook Singapore, Burma, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, etc. To make this happen, the king decided that modernize Thailand (formerly called Siam) by adopting some of their ways. Therefore, in the 19th century, King Rama IV introduced the use of a spoon and a fork to the people of Thailand. It is worthwhile to note that Thais twisted the Western culture of using a fork and a knife to eat.
What do Thai people eat with their hands?
The dishes that Thais eat with their hands include:
- Plain sticky rice – This refers to only rice that is often served with other Thai dishes such as grilled chicken or other meat dishes. Notably, plain sticky rice can also be served with chili-based sauce dishes that contain lots of raw vegetables. When eating the dishes, Thais will mix the rice and the dishes with their hands as they eat them.
- Sweet sticky rice
Sweet sticky rice is slightly different from plain sticky rice because it is usually cooked with coconut milk, sugar, and oil. Although lots of people like eating sweet sticky rice with their hands, others prefer using cutleries.
- Seafood
Seafood is relatively common in Thailand. When eating crab, shrimp, and other seafood, numerous Thai people like using their hands. They will use their hands to peel the seafood so that they can bring out the best meat from it.
Notably, people in Northeast Thailand are the ones that fondly eat sticky rice with their bare hands.
Thais mostly use cutleries
While Thais also eat with their hands, most dishes are eaten with cutleries. The preferred cutleries of Thai people are forks and spoons. According to Tripsavvy.com and other sources, the right hand is used for holding a spoon whereas the fork is kept in the left hand as Thai people eat various dishes. It is worthwhile to realize that a spoon is the most important utensil for eating. A fork is only required for moving the food around on the plate. However, when trying to eat chunks of fruits and other related food, Thai people can use only a fork.
In most cases, you will not find knives on the dining tables of Thais. This is because they believe that knives belong to the kitchen.
Apart from using a spoon and fork, Thais also use chopsticks once in a while. Generally, noodles are the only meals that Thai people use chopsticks to eat. This is especially true when such noodles are served in Chinese restaurants. Sometimes, Thais will only use the chopsticks to move the noodles into a spoon.
Nevertheless, many Thais still don’t use chopsticks when eating noodles at home.
Don’t use your left hand to eat
In Thailand, the left hand is believed to be the dirty or dishonorable hand. It is noteworthy that this belief also applies to some other cultures around the globe. As a result of this, people don’t like doing certain things with their left hand. So, when you are in Thailand, you should not use your left hand to handle food or communal serving cutleries.
Also, when you are eating plain or sweet sticky rice in this Southeast Asian nation, you should never use your left hand, especially when eating in public. It is considered impolite.
Other etiquettes to observe in Thailand
Apart from not eating with your hand, there are many other table etiquettes you have to observe in Thailand.
- Don’t talk when food is in your mouth
In all cultures around the world, this etiquette is observed. Talking with your mouth full can lead to lots of problems for you. Therefore, you should not talk when food is still in your mouth.
- Eat slowly
In Thailand, people use the time for eating as a communal moment to share with their friends and families. As a result of this, Thai people don’t rush whenever they are eating. The people eat slowly as they take in the flavor of the food and also have fun with their loved ones. So, when you are in the country, think about eating slowly especially when you are in the midst of Thais.
- Don’t blow your nose while eating
Lots of Thai meals are spicy. Therefore, it is not strange for people to have a runny nose when eating in Thailand. However, don’t be tempted to blow your nose when eating. It is considered impolite and unhygienic. Instead of blowing your nose, try to wipe off the runny nose.
Conclusion
Many Thais eat with their hands when eating plain/sweet sticky rice or seafood. Apart from these meals, other meals are usually eaten with a spoon and a fork. In a few other cases, Thai people may also eat with chopsticks.
