#29 Eat Ethiopian food with my hands–CHECK!

The "with my hands, no utensils" part of this item is essential in understanding why this is on my 30 for 30 list. Trying Ethiopian food isn't the challenge here – it's the "let's get your hands greasy!" aspect that is my foe. 

For as long as I can remember, I have always had a problem with eating certain types of sloppy food – particularly piled-high Publix sandwiches and Taco Bell in flimsy shells. Don't get me started about chicken wings. Fortunately for me, these were considered special treats growing up (Chinese family), so they weren't part of our regular cuisine routine! 

I never failed to throw a quasi-fit whenever my mom brought home these messy offenders, because a) it meant that I'd have to use my hands to eat, b) that shredded lettuce and/or ground beef would fall out, and c) the worst imagineable possible – that sauce would leak out! Don't get me wrong, I'm only mildly OCD – I don't care if the mashed potatoes touch the peas on my plate – but I do like my food neat, low-maintenance, and requisite of a 1-napkin maximum. I was a weird kid, okay?

In hopes of overcoming my admittedly bizarre quirk before age 30, I put this on my list, and conveniently, there was a Groupon-like deal for Ethiopian Diamond Restaurant that landed in my inbox recently! Enter #29 Eat Ethiopian food and a surprisingly enjoyable experience, sans utensils:

{ injera }

I partook in the traditional Ethiopian ritual of breaking Injera, or bread. This is a delightfully spongey, thin flat bread (similar to a crepe, but stretchy and resilient!) made from a self-rising wheat flour and native teff grain flour. You tear it up and use to scoop up the different types of meats and veggies that are served all together on a single platter. Great for mopping up extra offending sauces!

At our server's recommendation, we ordered a combination of two "Tastes of Ethiopia": Yesiga Alicha, Doro Watt, Yebeg Watt, Yemisir Watt, Quosta, Combination of Zilzil Tibs, Doro Tibs, Yebeg Tibs, Gomen, and Tikel Gomen. Don't expect any translations from me, except for maybe "Yummy in my Tummy!"

Not only did I resist the temptation to ask for utensils, I allowed myself to get down and dirty without obsessing over it too much. I even cut loose and indulged in gurssha – the placing of food in the mouth of another diner (The Fella, obvi) from one's own hand. 

Overall a fun time, even if it did gross me out a little watching The Fella use this as an excuse to be overly messy and to lick his fingers incessantly. Some things will never change.

Consensus? I would go back! 

P.S. The rest of the resto was pretty cool, too.