English Listening & Reading Practice: British English Podcast - Eating With Your Hands

Hello and welcome to the English Like a Native Podcast.

This is not your typical English language learning resource.

There are no textbooks here, no grammar rules, just the weird and

wonderful version of English that you will hear spoken in the UK.

So tune in for your daily dose of very ordinary English chatter

from a very ordinary English girl.

I'm your host Anna and today we are talking about eating with your hands.

Do you eat with your hands?

I bet you do.

We all do.

But before I move any further, we're going to hear lots of very interesting

words and phrases, but the three that I want you to listen out for and to

take away with you are yield, yield.

Now this has other quite common meanings but today you'll hear it to

mean to bend or break under pressure.

It yields.

The next word is relish, relish, to relish something.

This means to really like or enjoy something.

You relish it.

And then the third word is homage, homage.

This is a noun.

It is a deep respect or praise that's shown for a person or God.

So there you go, yield relish, homage.

So how do you feel about eating with your hands?

We all eat with our hands at some point, some of us probably more than others.

There are many foods that we just grab at and pop into our mouths.

You know, I'm British, I love to drink tea and I love to dunk a biscuit.

I can't imagine using cutlery to deal with my biscuit.

I mean, how would that even work?

You'd have to, like, pin it between your fork and your spoon.

It just wouldn't work, you'd have to use your hands.

Dunk, dunk, dunk.

I sound like a mouse.

And then there're lots of foods that just, it would just be so fussy

if you weren't using your hands.

Can you imagine a sandwich, eating a sandwich with

anything other than your hands?

Pizza, I mean sometimes I will use a knife and fork with pizza, often if it's

like really thin and sloppy and the, you know, the base isn't very sturdy and so

you can't really pick up the slice of pizza without it all just sliding off,

all the cheese sliding off the pizza.

So in that case, I would use a knife and fork.

Really, pizzas are better when you eat them with your hands.

And a sandwich, of course, with your hands.

What else?

Fruit.

I often pop my head into the fridge and, "Ooh, a blueberry."

Just throw that into my mouth.

Or crisps, snacks, those kinds of things we always eat with our hands.

So we all do it.

But strangely enough, if you pose that question to me, if you say,

"Anna, how do you feel about eating with your hands?"

Strangely enough, despite eating with my hands regularly, and even more so

now that I have young children, when I think about eating with my hands,

my immediate reaction is disgust, but I don't find eating with my hands

disgusting, but when you pose that question, my immediate thought is, "Ugh!"

And that's because my mind jumps to a very specific experience that I

don't like, which is eating fajitas or burritos or anything that's in a wrap,

where the food is held inside a wrap and the food that's inside is juicy.

And so the wrap starts to soften and fall apart, letting those juices slowly

seep out and cover my fingers, my hands, and my wrists, getting underneath my

fingernails, and then the wrap starts to break apart, and I have to quickly

shove food into my mouth in an effort to save it from falling and splatting

all the juice all over my outfit.

It's just so messy.

I don't know why it bothers me so much, but it does.

I think that's the control freak in me.

I feel so out of control when I'm in that situation with a fajita

that's just falling apart and there's juice running all down my

arms and food falling everywhere.

And you're shoving it in your mouth.

Ah!

But if I put that aside for a minute, then, eating with

your hands is perfectly fine.

So tell me, have you ever stopped to think about the simple act

of eating with your hands?

Because it is often seen as a childhood habit or something that's

reserved for informal settings.

But I'm here to tell you that actually, there's a lot more to it than that.

Eating with our hands is like embarking on a sensory adventure.

A journey that connects us deeply with the food we enjoy.

It's a practice that goes beyond mere convenience, it's a celebration

of authenticity in a world filled with elaborate dining rituals.

So let's dive right into this sensory symphony, shall we?

When you eat with your hands, it's not just about the taste.

It's about engaging all your senses.

The touch, the smell, and of course, the taste.

Imagine sinking your fingers into a ripe, juicy peach.

The soft flesh yields to your touch, releasing a sweet aroma that

tantalises your senses before you take the first delectable bite.

This tactile exploration begins before the food even reaches your mouth, setting

the stage for a deeper connection.

It's a journey of sensations that cutlery simply can't replicate.

Now let's talk about the chemistry of touch.

Did you know that our hands have a unique scent?

And when we handle our food, we transfer these molecules onto it.

Are you smelling your hands now?

Mine smell..., well, quite clean, and I can detect a hint of pomegranate, which

is probably from my hand soap, actually.

Mmm.

Now this little interaction between hands and food influences

the food's aroma and flavour.

Take kneading dough when you're making bread, for example.

As you work that dough with your hands, the warmth and the natural

oils from your skin infuse it with a distinct homely fragrance, evoking

memories of home-cooked meals.

But guess what?

Eating with your hands is not just a Western thing, I'm sure

you are all aware of that.

It's a global phenomenon, celebrated and cherished in many cultures.

In India, for example, it's not just about convenience, it's a cultural

tradition deeply rooted in history.

The Indian thali, a meal that showcases an array of flavours and textures, is

meant to be savoured with your fingers.

Each bite is like an exploration of taste and tradition, connecting you to a rich

culinary heritage that spans centuries.

It's a celebration of culture, identity, and the customs that

have shaped the subcontinent.

And let's not forget Africa and Asia.

These regions also have a deep reverence for eating with hands.

In Ethiopia, they use injera, a spongy sourdough flatbread to scoop up

stews and salads, creating a tactile and communal dining experience.

Similarly, in various Asian countries, from Thailand to Indonesia, eating

with your hands is considered the norm for certain dishes.

It fosters a sense of togetherness and shared enjoyment, reminding us

that food isn't just nourishment.

It's a window into the soul of a culture.

Eating with your hands is also about breaking free from convention.

In the Western world, the idea of eating with your hands has come a long way.

Historical records show that using forks was once a novelty in Europe.

The table manners were strictly enforced to distinguish social classes.

But as time passed, these rules relaxed, and certain foods like

pizza gradually became acceptable to be enjoyed with our hands.

It reflects how our culinary habits and perspectives have evolved, liberating

us, thankfully, from formality and enhancing our dining experiences.

I just wonder how long it's going to take for licking the lid of a

yoghurt pot or licking your plate to become more widely acceptable.

Hopefully soon, so I don't have to keep hiding shamefully as I lick my lid clean.

Does anyone else do that, or is that just me?

Maybe I should keep that to myself.

Now, eating with your hands, it's a celebration of individuality.

It challenges societal norms and celebrates your personal preferences.

It's a statement that your connection with food is deeply personal,

not dictated by conventions.

It's a return to authenticity, rejecting the artificial boundaries that have

been imposed upon culinary experiences.

Eating with your hands invites you to explore your true culinary desires

and relish the sensory pleasure that comes from being yourself.

It makes me think of my children, when they were weaning, when they

were, you know, between six months and one year old, and I would put their

food in front of them always with a fork or a spoon, but guess what?

That would be thrown straight away.

And they would just get their hands in it and they would squeeze it in their fingers

and they rub it all over their faces.

You know, they really enjoyed the whole experience of food.

It wasn't just about 'put it in the mouth and taste it'.

It was 'feel it, test it, rub it on your face, stick it in your

hair, throw it at the wall'.

And we have to get back to that, not to that messy stage, I don't think I

could bear that, but we definitely have to get back to connecting to our food.

There's a magic in touch.

Food tastes better when you consume it with your hands.

And I know that sounds mystical, but it is firmly rooted in science.

The tactile sensation of interacting with food before it touches your taste buds,

creates a palpable sense of anticipation.

Imagine peeling a ripe mango with your hands.

As you run your fingers over its smooth, fragrant skin, you can feel

the fruit's firmness and ripeness.

The anticipation builds with each touch, culminating in that first juicy bite.

It's a sensory journey that begins with touch and ends with the

explosion of flavour in your mouth.

My mouth is actually watering talking about this.

Now beyond the immediate sensory pleasure, eating with your hands

fosters a deeper mind-body connection.

Your hands become an extension of your thoughts and desires allowing

you to engage with your food in a way that's both intimate and deliberate.

Tearing into freshly baked bread, feeling the crust yield beneath your

fingers, and savouring the warmth of the soft interior is an experience

that transcends the ordinary.

It's a tactile meditation, a moment of mindfulness where you are fully present

in the act of nourishing yourself.

I don't know about you, but bread, freshly baked bread, the smell,

the feeling of that warm bread, the butter melting into the warm bread.

Oh, it's just the best.

I am so hungry right now!

Okay, so apart from all this, we mustn't overlook the practical

side of eating with your hands.

Your hands are very versatile tools that communicate silently with your food.

I hate working with gloves.

I can't clean, I can't cook, I can't do anything with gloves on.

I need to feel, I need to connect.

Your hands, they help you to evaluate textures and make informed

choices about what you're consuming.

When you use your hands to explore the textures of a dish, you engage in a

sensorial journey that heightens your awareness of the culinary experience.

It's adaptive to various eating environments like those bustling

Asian markets where street food vendors serve up delicious dishes,

perfect for eating on the go.

And skilled chefs often employ their hands to meticulously arrange delicate

ingredients, creating visually stunning compositions that engage not

only the palate, but also the eyes.

Now, if you, like me, have some hang-ups about getting messy hands, perhaps we

should all really work on embracing the novelty of eating with our hands.

It encourages exploration, stepping outside of our comfort zones.

It reminds us that food is an adventure, a journey of discovery, where we engage

with all our senses, unburdened by preconceived notions of propriety.

And speaking of culinary boundaries, fusion cuisine benefits greatly from

the practice of eating with your hands.

Now, combining elements from different traditions can lead to

astonishingly delicious results.

Dishes like, sushi burritos and Mexican-inspired Indian tacos.

They embrace the fluidity of culinary innovation while encouraging

diners to embrace the tactile joy of eating with their hands.

Oh, I must go and eat.

In conclusion, and then I'm going to run to the kitchen!

In conclusion, eating with your hands isn't a primitive or uncivilised practice.

It's a celebration of our humanity, a homage to our diverse cultural

heritage and a testament to the sensory richness of the culinary world.

So next time you pick up a burger or a sandwich, take a moment to

truly savour the diverse textures and flavours with your fingertips.

Embrace the sensory delight.

Celebrate the connection between touch and taste and relish the freedom

of breaking free from convention.

It's a small yet transformative pleasure that genuinely enhances the entirety

of the meal and it's a testament to the enduring power of our hands in

the world of culinary exploration.

As we continue to evolve in our culinary practices, we ought to keep

in mind the simple joy and profound connection that can be found in the art

of eating with our hands, a timeless tradition that celebrates our humanity

and nourishes both body and soul.

It is a reminder that in our quest for culinary innovation, if you are quite

innovative in the kitchen, that we should never lose sight of the traditions

that have shaped our relationship with food and continue to enrich our lives

in ways both practical and profound.

So with that said, what are you going to have as your next meal?

It's been lovely sharing these thoughts with you.

Until next time, take very good care and goodbye.