Totally Bamboo Salad Hands, Set of 2 Bamboo Wood Salad Servers, Great for Tossing and Serving Salad, Pasta and More

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If you want to take the utmost care of your greens, avoid tongs with metal tips and opt for gentler materials. While many food blogs recommend wood above all else, eco-friendly bamboo, and easy-to-care-for plastic and silicone are also fine options, especially if you're shopping on a budget. If you decide you want a wood option for longevity (or for aesthetic reasons) look for a durable hardwood, like sustainable acacia. Just note that there will be more maintenance involved with wood options since they may require hand-washing and occasional oiling. Handle Length The second universal rule is that the food is only touched with the right hand. This is common regardless of faith or food – whether the national staple is bread, rice or some other grain such as millet or maize, or mashed cassava or plantain. Touching food with the left hand is a major taboo in most countries, seemingly absent only in Europe and North America. There must be a reason why fish and chips on a windy beach tastes infinitely better than on a restaurant table Unless you're going with salad hands, another factor to consider is the best handle length for your salad server, which correlates with the depth of your salad bowl. Keep in mind that your tongs will likely be sitting in the salad bowl between servings, so if the handles are too short that’s a recipe for messiness. Conversely, if the handles are too long that might translate into less control when serving.

Cultural norms and taboos do not exist in a vacuum – they are often rooted in a wider belief system, whether notions of sharing v individualism, or even ideas around health and wellbeing. Using hands to eat means that there is no material limit to the number of people who can partake in a meal. In the Middle East, especially, but also parts of Asia and Africa, food is also often served in a communal dish – known as a gebeta in Ethiopia, and a taal in Bengal – meaning that it is impossible to run out of plates, and there is no need to scrabble around for an extra fork if someone unexpectedly shows up at dinner time, reflecting the importance of communality in experiencing food. With regards to philosophies regarding health, the Indian practice of ayurveda teaches the benefits of eating with hands, based on the belief that each of the five fingers on a hand corresponds to a different element (ether, air, fire, water and earth) and that eating with the hand connects us more directly with our food, and even boosts digestion. Tongs” isn’t really the best term for this utensil, since traditionally salad “tongs” are made up of two parts: a curved paddle (essentially an oversized spoon) and an oversized fork. This is ideal for gently snagging leafy greens and scooping up larger salad items. However, some people prefer “salad hands” since these can allow for more control while tossing and serving salad, and sometimes they allow for bigger scoops. "Hybrid" tongs — which can function as salad servers or snap together to form tongs — are beloved for their versatility. Materials To Consider It is hardly surprising that the fascination about the “correct” way to eat goes the other way too. My grandfather, who owned an Indian-Bangladeshi restaurant in Manchester in the 1970s, referred to knives and forks as sifkhata – which literally translates to “chip cutter” – and was adamant that his children and grandchildren learned to use them properly, so we wouldn’t be flummoxed by the various rules of which hand to hold a fork in, or what a fish knife looked like. A good salad can turn an average meal into a sumptuous and impressive buffet. On the flip side, salad can also turn the family feast into a messy affair, with tasty tomatoes and lettuce leaves flying all over the place as you try to transfer them from bowl to plate with a useless spoon or fidgety tongs.We have hands for a reason, so why not use them to directly grab those greens and dish them out to waiting, hungry mouths? Your parents may have told you not to play with your food, but we’re pretty sure they would change their minds if they saw these fabulous utensils. The beautiful wooden tools are a stunning and sanitary extension of your own incredible hands, great for serving up salad. Made from lovely, durable acacia wood, they have that wonderful, naturally refined beauty will look great with virtually any other bit of tableware you own. When I first introduced my now-husband to my family, he was met with open arms by everyone – except my nine-year-old niece. “Why does Aunty have to marry that man?” she asked, before scathingly adding: “I bet he can’t even eat with his hands.”

They may look like claws, but these edgy hand-held tools are actually brilliantly tactile serving implements for that incredible salad crowning the table. I watched with apprehension, mixed with pride, as my husband-to-be carefully probed the fish, pressing for treacherous bones with his thumb and forefinger, as I had shown him how to. He ate slowly and deliberately, maintaining the correct conventions of hand eating, touching the food only with the right hand. My parents were impressed – and reassured – that their new son-in-law was able to maintain this cultural practice. After our wedding, we were invited to dine at the homes of my many aunties and uncles across the country, as is the custom for newlyweds. At each dinner, my husband impressed his hosts (who all, without fail, had thoughtfully laid out cutlery for him to use) by expertly eating with his hands.

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