JORDANIAN GASTRONOMY

The two great traditions in Jordanian cuisine are influenced by various culinary styles, thanks to its strategic location on ancient caravan routes. Traders and products from countries like Egypt, India, Turkey, and Lebanon, among others, passed through here, leaving a significant impact on the country’s gastronomy.

However, Jordanians have not limited themselves to copying and replicating their neighbors’ dishes but have put their own twist on them to create original and distinctive recipes. Nevertheless, travelers looking to sample Jordanian cuisine can categorize most recipes into two major traditions: Arab and Bedouin.

• Arab cuisine in Jordan is characterized by dishes and ingredients that can be found in other Arab countries. For instance, ful medames, a stew made from fava beans, is a typical dish. Bread is almost sacred, with the most common being unleavened bread or khobz. Common ingredients inherited from the Arab world include olives, hard-boiled eggs, or cheese, much like neighboring countries. However, your taste buds will be most delighted with the spice blends that enhance the flavors and add a touch of exoticism. Some table manners are also inherited from the Arab world, such as using only the right hand (the left hand is considered impure) or washing hands in front of everyone if possible.
• Bedouin cuisine, on the other hand, is a style that makes the most out of the available ingredients that were once less varied. In fact, they use even the liquid fat extracted from cooking meat. Camel milk, dried dates, or pine nuts are some of the products often used in their dishes. In addition, cooking in the desert still involves earth ovens, which are holes filled with wood embers over which foods like lamb are cooked.