Eating with Your Hands

This morning I found this article in the New York Times about eating with your hands, manners, and the (re)evolution of it in the dining world. I've been to a number of restaurants where you eat with your hands - Ethiopian and Moroccan mostly.

There is something about eating with your hands that just takes the dining experience to a new level.

I'm a firm believer that you eat with all of your senses. Everyone knows you eat with your mouth, and therefore "taste" and some will recognize smell...then there are those who realize we also first experience food with "sight" before "taste". Which is why I'm a love of making food "pretty" or appealing looking. Depending on the food you might experience "hearing" it - the sizzle of a fajita plate, the crackling of a well toasted crème brûlée - but so rarely to we touch our food.

Many of us can remember being told "don't play with your food" or "use your fork" as a child. So unless you grew up with a culture that encourage and expected you to eat with your hands this is a new concept completely.

But let me say it's something to experience. Don't let the saucy-ness of the dishes intimidate you, using bread or rice will help make the transfer of food from plate to mouth less disastrous.

Pass a bib please?

"Some foods you eat to stay alive, others you eat because not to would be a crime. Here are those foods worth traveling the world to gorge on."

I was sent to CNN to find the World's 50 Most Delicious Foods.... and I'm not talking just anyone's grandma's chicken soup. They have specific dishes from specific countries/regions. Some look/sound more scrumptious then I can wrap my head around. I haven't put the entire article below just the countdown and what I consider the highlights (one's I've tried I've made red, if I've eaten it in/from the country listed I've bolded it as well).

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50. Buttered Popcorn: United States

49. Masala dosa: India ("A crispy, rice-batter crepe encases a spicy mix of mashed potato, which is then dipped in coconut chutney, pickles, tomato-and-lentil-based sauces and other condiments.")

48. Potato chips: United States

47. Seafood paella: Spain (Paella is a saffron-flavored Spanish dish made with varying combinations of rice, vegetables, meat, chicken, and seafood.)

46. Som tam: Thailand ("Variations include those made with crab (som tam boo) and fermented fish sauce (som tam plah lah), but none matches the flavor and simple beauty of the original.")

Poutine

45. Chicken rice: Singapore (The national dish of Singapore)

44. Poutine: Canada ("French fries smothered in cheese curds and brown gravy...Our Canadian friends insist it’s best enjoyed at 3 a.m. after “several” beers.")

43. Tacos: Mexico

42. Buttered toast with Marmite: Britain (Marmite is dark brown-colored savory spread made from the yeast that is a by- product of the brewing industry.)

41. Stinky Tofu: Southeast Asia

40. Marzipan: Germany

39. Ketchup: United States

38. French Toast: Hong Kong (You got it. Not France. Not the USA. Hong Kong. "Unlike its more restrained Sunday brunch counterpart, Hong Kong-style French toast is like a deep-fried hug. Two pieces of toast are slathered with peanut butter or kaya jam, soaked in egg batter, fried in butter and served with still more butter and lots of syrup.")

37. Chicken Parm: Australia

36. Texas BBQ Pork: United States

35. Chili Crab: Singapore ("Spicy chili-tomato gravy tends to splatter, which is why you need to mop everything up with mini mantou buns.")

Fish and Chips

34. Maple Syrup: Canada

33. Fish'n'Chips: Britain

32. Ankimo: Japan (Monkfish liver)

31. Parma ham: Italy ("You see it folded around melon, wrapped around grissini, placed over pizza, heaped over salad.")

30. Goi cuon: Vietnam (Goi cuon is also called a Summer Roll "This snack made from pork, shrimp, herbs, rice vermicelli and other ingredients wrapped in rice paper is served at room temperature.")

29. Ohmi-gyu beef steak: Japan

28. Pho: Vietnam

27. Montreal style smoked meat: Canada (The meat is cured for 10 days)

26. Fajitas: Mexico

25. Butter garlic crab: India

24. Champ: Ireland (An Irish national dish of "mashed potato with spring onions, butter, salt and pepper, champ is the perfect side with any meat or fish.")

Croissants

23. Lasagna: Italy

22. Brownie and Vanilla Ice Cream: Global

21. Croissant: France

20. Arepas: Venezuela

19. Nam tok moo: Thailand ("Grilled pork combined with lemon juice, green onions, chili, mint sprigs, fish sauce and toasted rice.")

18. Kebab: Iran

17. Lobster: Global

16. Egg Tart: Hong Kong ("Like many classic dishes, the Hong Kong egg tart marries two contrasting textures: crusty, flaky pastry and jiggly, trembling custard. It’s sweet, it’s delicious and it’s best eaten hot from the oven on the street while queuing up to get just one more.")

15. Kalua Pig: United States

14. Donuts: United States

13. Corn on the cob: Global

12. Shepherd's Pie: Britain

11. Rendang: Indonesia ("Beef is slowly simmered with coconut milk and a mixture of lemongrass, galangal, garlic, turmeric, ginger and chilies, then left to stew for a few hours.")

10. Chicken muamba: Gabon ("chicken, hot chili, garlic, tomato, pepper, salt, okra and palm butter.")

Tom Yum soup

09. Ice cream: United States

08. Tom yum: Thailand

07. Penang assam laksa: Malaysia ("Poached, flaked mackerel, tamarind, chili, mint, lemongrass, onion, and pineapple.")

06. Hamburger: Germany

05. Peking duck: China

04. Sushi: Japan

03. Chocolate: Mexico

02. Neopolitan Pizza: Italy

01. Massaman curry: Thailand ("Emphatically the king of curries....Spicy, coconutty, sweet and savory, its combination of flavors has more personality than a Thai election.")