Emily has a special day coming up this week at school. Everyone in her 4th-grade class will bring food from their national countries for all to try and share. The teacher called it a potluck. Emily was excited to hear that, and she immediately thought of bringing her mom’s Tourtière, a yummy French Canadian meat pie that her mom makes stuffed with minced beef and potatoes. Emily loves her mom’s Tourtière, and she will help her make it so that her whole class can enjoy it. Emily is sure everyone will love it as much as she does!
The potluck day is finally here, and Emily gets ready with anticipation. She hurries to the kitchen as her mom prepares her pie to take to school. Her mom drives to the school and drops her off at the entrance, where she meets her friend Leyla. As they walk into class, Emily shows Leyla what she brought, and Leyla is delighted. Leyla proceeds to show Emily the food she brought. Emily takes one look at it and tries to hide her disgust.
What is that?
Asks Emily, trying not to sound rude.
It’s…called Dolma,
says Leyla in a soft voice, feeling embarrassed.
What is it made out of?
Asks Emily hurriedly, seeing as she might have hurt her friend’s feelings.
Leyla replies, It’s made of grape leaves, and inside, it’s stuffed with rice. My mom added meat, too. Just like your Tourtière!
Emily smiled and agreed, although she feared trying these so-called dolmas. They both found their way to their classroom as the teacher had prepared a wonderfully decorated table with a flower-patterned cloth and some nice decorative candles to accompany the meals brought by all the students. As Emily approached the table, she did not like what she saw. She tried to keep a straight face as she knew her mom would have scolded her for being unpleasant.
Once it was all placed on the table, all the kids were loudly talking among themselves, wondering who had brought what to the potluck, and they were anxious to try. There were main dishes, there were entrees, and there were desserts. A full-course meal for everyone to enjoy.
Emily looked at all the different dishes on the table. There were foods she had never seen before—some with strange shapes and others with unusual colors. She saw Leyla’s Dolmas sitting in a neat row on a plate. Emily wasn’t sure she liked the look of them, but she didn’t want to hurt her friend’s feelings again.
The teacher clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention. All right, class, let’s start our potluck! Remember, today is about trying new things and celebrating our different cultures. So, I want each of you to try a little bit of everything. You might just discover a new favorite food!
Emily was excited for everyone to try her mom’s Tourtière, but the idea of tasting some of the other foods made her nervous. She watched her classmates eagerly pile their plates with small portions of each dish. Leyla was already digging into a piece of Emily’s Tourtière, and from the smile on her face, it was clear she loved it.
Feeling braver, Emily took a deep breath and carefully put a small Dolma on her plate. I can do this,
she whispered to herself. She sat beside Leyla, who was now busy tasting some other dishes.
Are you going to try the Dolma?
Leyla asked, her eyes hopeful.
Emily nodded. I guess I should, right?
Leyla smiled warmly. You might be surprised!
Emily picked up the dolma with her fork, closed her eyes, and took a small bite. The grape leaf was soft, and the filling inside was a blend of tender rice and flavorful meat. As she chewed, Emily realized something—she actually liked it!
She opened her eyes and smiled at Leyla. It’s… really good! I wasn’t sure at first, but I’m glad I tried it.
Leyla smiled. I’m glad you like it! And your mom’s Tourtière is amazing, just like you said!
For the rest of the potluck, Emily tried a little bit of everything. Some dishes were sweet, some were savory, and some were a bit spicy. But Emily discovered something important that day—it was fun to try new things, even if they seemed different or strange at first.
As the potluck ended, the teacher gathered the class together. I’m so proud of all of you for sharing your special foods and being open to trying new things,
she said. Remember, the world is full of wonderful surprises, and you never know what you might like until you give it a chance.
Emily nodded, feeling proud of herself. As she packed up the leftovers to take home, Emily turned to Leyla. Maybe we can cook together next time, and you can show me how to make Dolmas!
Leyla grinned. That sounds like a great idea! And maybe we can try making something new together, too!
And with that, Emily and Leyla walked out of the classroom, excited for the new adventures and tastes they would discover—together.
