Personally, I do not see anything wrong with eating with your hands depending on the food. For example, pizza, roti, doubles, fried bake and shark, hamburgers and so on. I guess it is a question of where you do it. I remember many years ago, I went by a friend of mine who was a Hindu and naturally, she served many indian cuisine such as paratha, channa, curry potato, curry chicken and fish. I thought that the food was delightful and of course, I ate with my hands. Naturally, everything was tasty and the ambience was delightful until I noticed that all the other guests were eating the paratha with a knife and fork! I almost fainted with embarrassment. I was also very perplexed to see this. I guess sometimes people dont always like to eat with their hands!
That's so unusual in a Hindu wedding! I think maybe they did not want to get dirty and stuff, particularly women. When I eat with my hands (not very often) I make sure I have lots of napkins around, in the case of curry is harder because the curry stains!
Actually, this was a formal dinner and not a wedding. But I have been to Hindu weddings whereby the Hostess gave guests the option of eating with their hands or with a knife and fork. Most of the time, only foreigners chose to use the utensils whilst the Trinidadians ate with their hands, very heartily if I might add!
Eating with one's hands is obviously a cultural ting!
When Columbus came to the New World, indigenas (Native people) were not using knife, fork and servilletas. We don't have to follow if we do not want to. No compulsion. In Trinidad, it is part of culture.
I remember when I went to USA and started to eat pizza with a knife and fork, people looked at me funny and I had a good laugh!
Not sure what's the big deal really don't we eat lots of things with our hands like chicken, fries, popcorn, snacks, doubles, roti, sandwiches and more?