Eating with fingers

Several years ago, I had a wonderful experience eating in a high class restaurant in Inda. It was a fish cooked in a huge oven. The fish was first soaked in a pot of yogurt and then paced inside a very hot clay oven. When it was ready, the fish was taken out and served in a dish. When the cover was removed, the fragrant was incredible.

Then came the problem. I was not given chopsticks or fork and knife. So I followed my friends to try to eat the fish with my five fingers (not ten). The yogurt sealed up the moisture in the fish and the taste of the yogurt integrated into the fish and the combination was so good I couldn't describe it in words. What was best was that when the fish got into the mouth, the temperature was just right. You see, it it was too hot, my fingers could tell me to wait. Using chopsticks or a fork would put your mouth and tongue in danger of being scorched.

The story tells us that using five fingers, a pair of chopsticks or a fork and a knife all have their merits. There is no need to force one way on another.

JY