Food plays a major role in Indian culture and so the habits and etiquette of serving and eating the food. Indian culture recommends to follow certain habits and manners while consuming and serving the food or we can call them; the dining table manners. All the traditions and habits related to the eating, have a significance behind them. Type of Food First of all, it should be noted what kind of food one is eating. Most of the Indians are vegetarian hence vegetables, pulses, grains and fresh fruits are highly preferable for preparing the food. However there are also people who eat non-vegetarian food such as meat, chicken, beef, lamb and fish, but beef and pork are totally prohibited among the Hindus. The ancient Indian Philosophy strictly recommended Vegetarianism. Proper Timing for eating Indian culture recommends proper timing for eating the meals. There are three meals in a day; the morning meal, the midday meal and the night meal. The morning meal has to be very lavish and well prepared because this is the very first meal of the day, it should fill a person with energy to start the day. The midday meal is also a well balanced diet that maintains the energy level of the person and the night meal should be light. The timing for all these meals should be balanced, one should take the morning meal by 7am the midday meal should be done by 12pm and in fact the dinner time is also 7pm according to the Indian culture. Although in the contemporary society very few people follow such a routine but these timings were recommended as the most accurate and best timing for eating the meals even by the great saints and Rishi-Muni of India because such a routine keeps the digestive system of the body well in balance. Family company Indian culture stresses upon cultivating love and harmony in the family therefore it recommends to eat at least one meal in a day where the whole family sit and eat together. This will create harmony and very positive atmosphere in the family. Each family member should enjoy this meal by sharing and interacting with each other. This habit of eating together is very much beneficial for the children of the family to develop the family values in them. Dining Etiquettes In the ancient Indian culture cutlery was rarely used, and rather meals were eaten through hands and fingers. For this, hands should be thoroughly washed, fingers should be clean and nails should be shorter, eating with long nail tips considered to be unhealthy and unclean. Only the Right hand should be used for eating and not the left because the left is considered to be unclean according to the Indian culture. Food should be first offered to the god and then only be eaten. The place where the food is taken should be very clean and most importantly the place, where the food is cooked at first. Food should be chewed properly. In the joint big families, the elders were supposed to eat at first, then the middle age men and then the children.
