When I was in west Africa I got used to something similar. Fufu is a sort of gelatinous hot doughy stuff made of corn and potato flour; you tear a piece off, and use your thumb to make a sort of small shovel . With the 'shovel' on the end of your four fingers, you risk a dip in the pot and bring out (with luck) a piece of meat or hard-boiled egg together with a gollop of hot chilli sauce. Too slow and you burn your fingers, too quick and a trail of sauce is laid on your shirt. Eating like this is quite competitive, and if you're a slow learner you go hungry!