- By Shailvee Tiwari
- Mon, 15 Sep 2025 12:50 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
French Woman Viral Post: When it comes to food, India has a way of winning hearts not just with flavours but also with the way meals are enjoyed. A French woman living in India recently shared how she embraced the habit of eating with her hands and her story has gone viral for all the right reasons. Julia Chaigneau admitted that at first the idea felt strange. “I grew up eating pizza and burgers with a knife and fork. Not by choice, by ‘punishment’. In France, eating with your hands is considered ‘rude’, not to be mean just because of the culture,” she explained.
She revealed that years later, a friend encouraged her to try eating with her hands and the experience completely changed her perspective. “At first, it felt awkward, almost rebellious. Then something shifted,” Julia wrote. Chaigneau shared, "I could feel the heat before it burned my tongue. Sense textures. Mix flavors no fork ever allowed. I even wasted less."
“Re-experiencing food through senses beyond sight made me rethink, as a designer, how easy it is to overlook the power of our other senses in shaping experiences. I have tried to keep that in mind since then,” she added. For Julia, what started as an “awkward” attempt turned into a beautiful connection with food, one that made her appreciate Indian culture even more.
Watch The Viral Post Here:
I grew up eating pizza and burgers with a knife and fork.
— Julia Chaigneau (@juliachaigneau) September 14, 2025
Not by choice, by “punishment”.
In France, eating with your hands is considered “rude” not to be mean just because of the culture.
Years later, a friend re-taught me how to eat with my hands. At first it felt awkward,… pic.twitter.com/ulOJH9q1EA
The post shared yesterday on X (Formerly Twitter) garnered 77k views from people online. "Maybe it's the novelty factor that's making you like it? As someone who has done both, the only reasons I would prefer hands over a knife and fork are if I'm not proficient enough (a major factor), if it's unavailable, or due to cultural sensitivities," a user wrote.
"Had a French “client” who visited us in India every six months. On his first visit, he was completely shocked, as we were all eating with our hands. Now he’s converted. Eats by hand, completely being himself, not pretentious, and looks forward to the next trip. You won’t know unless u visit," a second user wrote.
"Cutting by fork & knife & eating by hand.. that’s how I enjoy my Pizza," wrote a third user. "There are tons of things beyond senses and that's only available in Bharat. Start with ancient temples, and you will know what I mean. The journey you won't regret, I bet," added another user.