Cultural tips for visitors to India: Food and Restaurant Etiquette in India

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Food in South India

This article is part of the "India survival Kit", a collection of articles written by an American expat living in India.

India’s rich and flavorful cuisines are a delight to the taste buds. Contrary to common perception abroad, Indian cuisine is not one but is comprised of several different regional cuisines. They can be broadly categorized into north Indian (Punjabi, Gujarati, Kashmiri, Mughlai, Bengali to name a few) and south Indian (Traditional Tamilian, Chettinad, Udupi, Andhra, Kerala are examples). Honestly speaking though, this broad classification does not justify the distinct flavors and cooking techniques of each region, which use unique blends of a wide variety of spices. Rice, wheat, and several kinds of lentils form the staples of Indian food. These are supplemented with an assortment of well-cooked vegetables and meats, usually soaked in aromatic spices.

The best way to sample authentic Indian food is at an Indian home. Restaurant fare is sometimes different from home-cooked food, both in taste and quality. And there are certain dishes as well as cooking styles that are not, for some reason, offered at restaurants. Many Indian homes do have dining tables. But some families still eat the traditional Indian way of sitting on the floor with legs folded and crossed in a yogic posture. Food is sometimes served on plantain leaves, especially during religious festivities or at weddings. Although eating with a spoon is quite common these days, eating with fingers is still the preferred mode. If you are new to India and are not comfortable eating with your hands, requesting a spoon is okay. But if you do decide to eat with your fingers, always use your right hand even if you are left-handed. Using the left hand to eat is considered both inauspicious and unhygienic. Other home-dining rules to keep in mind are 1. Wait to be served and do not help yourself and 2. Do not offer anyone food from your plate, even if it is untouched.

Indian restaurants (commonly referred to as hotels) offer food not only from different regions within the country but also from around the world like burgers, fajitas, and noodles. But even the foreign cuisines are usually ‘Indianized’ with local spices. Indo-Chinese is a separate cuisine by itself and the burger, even at McDonald’s, does not taste like the original Big Mac. The Hindus, who are a majority in India, consider the cow sacred and do not eat beef. Hence beef is not widely available. Also, a large number of Indians are vegetarian, so restaurants will always feature an extensive vegetarian menu. Another interesting fact is that fast food chains like McDonald’s, KFC, Subway, and Pizza Hut that are inexpensive, low-end joints in America are trendy hang-outs in India that attract the hip, young, upwardly mobile crowd.

Restaurant dining is different from eating in a home. For starters, you are offered spoons and forks even if many diners have no use for them. In mid to upscale restaurants, dining etiquette is similar to that in western countries. But the tipping culture is somewhat different. Although everyone right from the bellhop to the waiter expects and likes to be tipped, Indians are not very good tippers. Most Indians will tip much less than 10% of the total cost at a restaurant. However, foreigners are expected to tip well, probably out of past experience.

In some low-end restaurants, there are no menu cards and the only way to tell what is available is by listening to the waiter (there are no waitresses in India) who will reel off a long list of dishes. In marketplaces and sometimes near business areas, roadside vendors offer a variety of foodstuffs. It is common to see shoppers and business professionals grabbing a bite on the roadside. Often roadside vendors are touted to have the best-tasting food. But always be very careful especially while eating at cheap restaurants or from roadside vendors. If you cannot completely avoid them, at least stay away from cold or uncooked foods. Water contamination is a huge problem in India. An important tip for foreigners in India is to always drink only branded bottled water or boiled water. Never drink water from an unknown source.

India’s flavors are very enticing to the food lover. But they need to be soaked in gradually or they could burn both your tongue and your stomach.

Editor: Nisha Giri

The India survival Kit is divided into four sections:

I) Cultural tips for newcomers to India

II) Doing business in India

III) An American's diary

IV) Street English in India: Indian English and the Indian way of communication

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