Fork and spoon for dosa? Etiquette instructor's viral video sparks debate online
An etiquette instructor's videos teaching people, including doctors, to eat dosa with a fork and spoon have gone viral. His claims about hygiene and graceful dining have sparked a debate online over traditional Indian food and table etiquette.
Can a dosa be eaten with a fork and spoon, or is it perfectly fine to enjoy the South Indian classic with your hands? An etiquette instructor's viral videos have turned this everyday dining question into an unexpected social media debate.
In the videos shared on Instagram, the instructor demonstrates what he describes as "graceful dining" while eating dosa with cutlery. In one clip, he even teaches doctors how to handle the dish using a fork and spoon, arguing that dining etiquette is about being neat, confident and graceful at the table.
Etiquette instructor says cutlery makes dosa dining more ‘graceful’
The etiquette instructor's post suggests that using a fork and spoon to eat dosa can offer a more hygienic experience, particularly at restaurants where cutlery is provided. "Using a fork and spoon for dosa can make dining more hygienic, especially in restaurants where utensils are provided," the caption reads. He further describes the practice as a way to enjoy "every bite neatly, confidently, and with royal elegance", while calling etiquette a "timeless tradition of graceful dining".
The approach, however, did not sit well with everyone online.
He teaches doctors how to eat dosa with a fork and spoon
In another viral clip, the instructor conducts what he calls a Dosa Etiquette Session for Doctors. The video shows him demonstrating how to eat dosa using a fork and spoon. According to the accompanying caption, the session is intended to teach doctors how to enjoy every bite "neatly, confidently, and gracefully".
Moreover, the teacher states that professionalism should not only be seen in the office but also at the dinner table.
Is there a need for proper dosa dining etiquette on the Internet?
As the videos were uploaded on various social media channels, people started debating whether the proper etiquette of Indian food was necessary. Despite the teacher's emphasis on the proper etiquette of dosa, the users seemed doubtful that proper dining etiquette should be introduced for food that people usually consume in an informal way. For some people, it is not obligatory to use cutlery when eating at the restaurant, while for others, it is just too much to learn how to eat dosa with a fork and spoon.
In addition, one cannot help but wonder: is proper dining etiquette the adherence to certain guidelines or just eating appropriately in a given situation?
X users react
Is there really a ‘right’ way to eat dosa?
These videos have made an ordinary meal into a discussion about culture and dining manners. There is no one set way that people eat a dosa. The choice of utensils will depend on where someone is eating, the environment, or maybe just personal preference. Others may eat by hand, which is also a very common way to eat Indian food.
Ultimately, the viral debate appears to be less about the dosa itself and more about how traditional foods fit into changing ideas of modern dining etiquette.
And judging by the reactions online, the internet has some very strong opinions about keeping a fork away from its dosa.
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