Using there fingers to eat

[Possum]

I have never seen a Filipino wash their hands before using them to eat but they do after.

[Snowy79]

I think my partner would use her hands if it wasn't for my dislike of it.

I'm a regular at the Mang Inisal on Boracay and I've yet to see a Filipino wash their hands before eating.

It's bad enough that they use their hands for wet rice but many stuff the food in and their lips have rice stuck to them, and they then use their wrists to wipe it off, plus they're constantly talking with bits of rice flying out.

The fact that usually when I'm using the public CR that the majority come in, do their business then leave without washing their hands makes it worse. 

[Mike J]

"I am eating my dessert. How do you eat it, with your hands? 

[Jack Peterson]

 When I Lived in GIBRALTAR, Many Morrocans were there. One in particular told me that Arabs eat only with right hand as the left is used for dirty things Washing etc, I am not sure I believed fully, so as were here I dug this up on the net;

Why do Arabs eat with right hand?

In one of his latest Qtips, Al Haroon explained that in Arab culture, the right hand is reserved for eating meals and greeting people. This follows in the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad, who favored his right hand for such actions. 

 

Edited December 28, 2023 by Jack Peterson
spelling

[Lee]

2 hours ago, Jack Peterson said:

When I Lived in GIBRALTAR, Many Morrocans were there. One in particular told me that Arabs eat only with right hand as the left is used for dirty things Washing etc,

While living in Saudi, it was explained that the left hand was for wiping after using the toilet.

It was also said that if you touched something in a store with your left (dirty) hand that you had to buy it. IDK. I just kept my left hand to myself during my extensive tour of SWA. LOL/

Edited December 28, 2023 by Lee

[Viking]

11 hours ago, RBM said:

How do you eat cake and, or, biscuits?

Cookies and biscuits are eaten with hands, actually most "dry" foods are.

My response to the original question was more focused on food that is normally served hot/warm.

10 hours ago, Clermont said:

Picking your post: have a look at where he's from, a bloody cake fork. 

Not really, for a cake, we use a small spoon. 😋

 

[Kingpin]

20 hours ago, Viking said:

she eats rice with her hands

They all do, the solution is to always be seated next to her, never across from her.

[BrettGC]

On the hand washing prior to eating the wife's family are habitual hand washers prior to both prepping and eating food to the point of washing their hands in-between meat and vegetable preparation.  No clue if that's the case outside our home though. 

Out in the general public here it's been my observation that the incidence of non-hand washing after using a public toilet is no less or greater than any developed country I've lived in.  Go to any pub, bar or drinking venue in the West and you'll see a definite lack of use of the sinks as time progresses - there's a reason I rarely eat bar snacks unless they're exclusively mine (nuts, pretzels etc).  Filipino men tend to preen themselves in front of the mirror after using the facilities and wash their hands whilst doing it from what I've seen.  

Different people have different experiences I guess. 

[Joe LP]

Tina washes her hand before cooking.  Started when she got work in Manila fresh from college working for a large catering company.  She's kept that up now as she owns a catering company that is by local standards considered large.  

That said, if she's at Micky D's or any other fast food, or at home eating food she's just made, no wash.  

Having been to more than a few of her events she's catered, I can tell you few locals wash their hands before eating.

[hk blues]

My wife, having worked abroad, rarely uses her hands to eat but might do so when at the family home amongst her people.  As for washing hands before prepping food, yes, that she does.  She does wash her hands before eating in McD's etc using a wet wipe, makes sure my son does to and I may but not always.  I ALWAYS wash after using the toilet (a positive effect of Covid) but I'd say I mostly didn't when in the UK years back but reckon less than 50% do so here, much less in fact.