**Note from the Editor: This piece was meant to be published before A Picky Eater's Guide to Ann Arbor: Ethiopian Food  but managed to slip through the cracks in our editing process. For this Emma we are truly sorry. So without further ado please enjoy Emma's introduction to her Picky Eater's Guide to Ann Arbor series!

My name is Emma, and I’m a foodie who fears food. That’s right: I’m 20 years old and still label myself as a “picky eater”. 

Now, you may wonder how I, living in such a unique food community as Ann Arbor, managed to remain this way. It wasn’t impossible. I made it through two years of living in the dorms by eating mostly peanut butter and jelly, salad, and rice. I would eat spaghetti for several meals in a row. I only recently tried tofu for the first time. Something about food taking the form of a white block was strange to me. And though people have always thought I was crazy, I’ve never liked most cheese. Go ahead, take your shots. 

It wasn’t so much that I didn’t want to try new things, I just take a lot of comfort in what’s familiar to me. There’s something to be said for being able to predict exactly what something tastes like and knowing that you will enjoy it every time. This is especially true in college, when change hits you so...

constantly that it begins to define your life. At the end of a stressful day, it was nice to return to something that would always remain the same.

But, I’ve reached the point where I’m tired of the same-old food. There are few things I like more than going out to sample Ann Arbor’s local cuisine and adding a variety of food to my circle of favorites. It is here that I’m introducing a series I’d like to call “The Picky Eater’s Guide to Ann Arbor”, where I will discuss the places that will take you out of your comfort zone while still trying to remain sensitive to various dislikes. You may be ready to try Chicken Koorma, but not so inclined to have Cuy (otherwise known as Guinea Pig; I’ve tried it before!). Along the way, you may be surprised at how willing you are to experience new flavors. 

My first topic: Ethiopian Food!


Photo Credit: y2bk