A French woman ate with her hands for the first time in a while and shared her experience in a now-viral post on X.

Julia Chaigneau, who has lived in India for two years, said the simple act of eating without cutlery reminded her how powerful our senses can be in shaping everyday experiences.

Known for often documenting her life in India, Julia drew attention this time to the cultural difference in how meals are enjoyed in France versus India.

“I grew up eating pizza and burgers with a knife and fork. Not by choice, by ‘punishment’,” she said in the post. She explained that eating with one’s hands is considered ‘rude’ in France, because of cultural conditioning.

Her perspective shifted when a friend encouraged her to try it again years later. “At first, it felt awkward, almost rebellious. Then something shifted. I could feel the heat before it burned my tongue. Sense textures. Mix flavours; no fork is ever allowed. I even wasted less,” she added.

As a designer, she said that the experience made her more conscious of how easily people forget the importance of engaging all their senses. “I have tried to keep that in mind since then,” she added.

Take a look at the post here:

Julia’s post sparked a wave of reactions online. “A pizza with a fork? I could never. Glad you’re enjoying it now,” a user said, while another user teased, “Honestly Show us how to eat pizza with a fork. For once only.”

When asked whether she would return to cutlery if she went back to the West, Julia replied, “Who said I was going back, haha.”

This isn’t Julia’s first brush with cultural food traditions. Earlier this month, she tried Onam Sadhya for the first time and shared her experience online.

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