Today was the third time I've been asked if I have lived in India before.
Why? I eat the food like a native, and know how to order what I want to eat.
The secret?
When I was 15 I got into a kick of just eating with chop sticks. When traveling I would carry them with me since I found them easier to deal with then silverware.
When I was 18 I first ate Indian food with a family that had just moved to the states. They made a point of showing me how to eat it properly with bread (to this day I pretty much never pick up silverware when eating Indian). I do not though have the cupped finger trick for soup down pat :)
Its funny how people pick up on eating habits. I always thought it was important to experience food in the way it was originally served. Adds to the experience :)
I cannot though pronounce all of the different types of food I have eaten. I know some basics so I know what is in what I am eating.
Final thought... you have never had Masala Chai until you buy it off a guy on the corner who grinds the spices himself. The stuff served in hotels come from powder, and it is quite weak compared to what the original tastes like.
