Economist Sanjeev Sanyal’s reply to a US man asking why Indians eat with their hands is winning the internet

Someone on social media asked a pretty basic question: why do Indians eat with their hands?Economist Sanjeev Sanyal had a very simple answer. And, as it turns out, a lot of people online liked it.The conversation started with a video shared by a Florida-based man named Aka. The clip appeared to show a couple eating at a South Indian wedding or traditional gathering, with both of them using their hands to eat.Aka posted the video with the question:“Seriously question, why do they all eat with their hands?”The post was originally shared in November 2025, but it later found its way onto Sanyal's timeline. He didn't respond with a long explanation about Indian culture or tradition.Instead, he went straight to the point.“It is a simple test..... if you cannot bear to touch it, and need metal instruments, then it is probably a bad idea to put it in your mouth.”That's it.But the line struck a nerve, and Sanyal's response soon started making the rounds online.People really liked that answerThe quote-post crossed more than 284,000 views, with many users agreeing with Sanyal's take.One person called it “a pretty solid point,” while another wrote, “Simple logic, but it makes sense.”Someone else said, “This is the best explanation I’ve seen.”And then there was the person who summed up a lot of Indian diners' feelings in one sentence:“Indian food just tastes better this way.”Another user simply replied, “What a reply sir!”It's easy to see why the response caught people's attention. Sanyal didn't make the practice sound complicated. He basically turned the question around: if the food is perfectly fine to touch, why should touching it before eating suddenly be considered strange?For millions of Indians, there's nothing unusual about itEating with your hands is hardly an unusual sight in India.Depending on where you are and what you're eating, it can be the most natural way to have a meal. Rice and curry, roti, dosa and plenty of traditional dishes are commonly eaten by hand. At weddings and other traditional gatherings, meals may be served on banana leaves or thalis, making the practice even more familiar.And there's a reason people who grew up doing it don't really think twice about it.You know how your food feels. You can mix rice with curry, break off a piece of roti or pick up a bite without having to think about which utensil to use.For someone who didn't grow up with that habit, though, it can look unusual.That's pretty much what happened here.It's also about what feels normal to youFood habits are funny that way.Something completely ordinary in one country can seem strange somewhere else. The same goes for how people sit, serve food or eat it.In India, using your hands isn't automatically seen as unhygienic or uncivilised. Obviously, people wash their hands before eating, and there are also foods and settings where cutlery is used.But when it comes to many traditional meals, your fingers are simply part of the experience.And that's probably why Sanyal's answer resonated with so many people. Rather than treating the practice as some mysterious cultural habit that needs a complicated defence, he gave a response anyone could understand.If you don't even want to touch the food, he suggested, why would you want to eat it?Whether everyone agrees with that logic is another question. But judging by the reaction, plenty of people thought Sanyal had made his point rather neatly.Sometimes a social media debate doesn't need a ten-paragraph explanation.Sometimes one line is enough.Get the latest movie news, reviews, and celebrity updates. Download the TOI App.