Jordanian cuisine


Jordanian cuisine is a traditional style of food preparation originating from, or commonly used in Jordan that has developed from centuries of social and political change.
There are a wide variety of techniques used in Jordanian cuisine ranging from baking, sautéeing and grilling to stuffing of vegetables, meat, and poultry. Also common in Jordanian cuisine is roasting or preparing foods with special sauces.
As one of the largest producers of olives in the world, olive oil is the main cooking oil in Jordan. Herbs, garlic, onion, tomato sauce and lemon are typical flavours found in Jordan. The blend of spices called za'atar contains a common local herb called sumac that grows wild in Jordan and is closely identified with Jordanian and other Mideastern cuisines. Yogurt is commonly served alongside food and is a common ingredient itself; in particular, jameed, a form of dried yogurt is unique to Jordanian cuisine and a main ingredient in mansaf the national dish of Jordan, and a symbol in Jordanian culture for generosity.
Another famous meat dish in Southern Jordan, especially in the Bedouin Desert area of Petra and Wadi Rum, is the zarb which is prepared in a submerged oven also called a "taboon". It is considered a delicacy of that area.
Internationally known foods which are common and popular everyday snacks in Jordan include hummus, which is a puree of chick peas blended with tahini, lemon, and garlic, and falafel, a deep-fried ball or patty made from ground chickpeas. A typical mezze includes foods such as kibbeh, labaneh, baba ghanoush, tabbouleh, olives and pickles. Bread, rice, freekeh and bulgur all have a role in Jordanian cuisine.
Popular desserts include as baklava, knafeh, halva and qatayef a dish made specially for Ramadan, in addition to seasonal fruits such as watermelons, figs and cactus pear which are served in summer.
Turkish coffee and tea flavored with mint or sage are almost ubiquitous in Jordan. Arabic coffee is also usually served on more formal occasions. Arak, an aniseed-flavoured spirit, is also drunk with food.

Food culture and traditions

Jordanian cuisine is a part of Levantine cuisine and shares many traits and similarities with the cuisine of Lebanon, Palestine and Syria, often with some local variations. More generally Jordanian cuisine is influenced by historical connections to the cuisine of Turkey and the former Ottoman Empire. Jordanian cuisine is also influenced by the cuisines of groups who have made a home for themselves in modern Jordan, including Armenians, Circassians, Iraqis, Palestinians, and Syrians.
Food is a very important aspect of Jordanian culture. In villages, meals are a community event with immediate and extended family present. In addition, food is commonly used by Jordanians to express their hospitality and generosity. Jordanians serve family, friends, and guests with great pride in their homes, no matter how modest their means. A "Jordanian invitation" means that one is expected to bring nothing and eat everything.
Celebrations in Jordan are marked with dishes from Jordanian cuisine spread out and served to the guests. Customs such as weddings, birth of a child, funerals, birthdays and specific religious and national ceremonies such as Ramadan and Jordan's independence day all call for splendid food to be served to guests. To celebrate the birth of a child, karawiya, a caraway-flavoured pudding, is commonly served to guests.

Jordanian food

Main dishes

NameDescription
Athan Al-Shayeb Meaning 'the ears of the old gray-haired man'. Is a pasta or jiaozi dish that has been described as a kind of local variation on ravioli. After being stuffed with ground beef and spices, thin wheat dough parcels are cooked in Jameed and served hot in this sauce. Another name for this dish is Shishbarak.
Bamya Okra cooked with tomato sauce and onions, served with rice and lamb.
Burghul Ahmar Bulgur cooked in tomato sauce and served with poultry.
Burghul Bzeit Bulgur cooked in olive oil and served with poultry.
Fasoulya Beyda White beans cooked in tomato sauce and served with rice.
Fasoulya Khadra Green beans cooked in tomato sauce and served with rice.
Fatteh Stack of khubz, topped by strained yogurt, steamed chickpeas and olive oil that are crushed and mixed together.
Freekeh Served with poultry or meat. Meat is fried in oil and braised with water, salt, and cinnamon bark. Then dried coriander is stirred in with freekeh and is cooked.
Galayet bandora Tomatoes sauteed and stewed with onions, olive oil, salt, and hot peppers, it can be served with rice but is more commonly eaten with bread in Jordan.
Kabsa Made from a mixture of spices, rice, meat and vegetables.
Kebab Roasted or grilled: Also known as Mashawi. A mixed grill of barbecued meats such as Kebab and Shish taouk.
Kofta b'bandoora Spiced, ground meat baked in tomato sauce and served with rice.
Kofta b'tahini Spiced, ground meat baked in a sea of tahini, topped with thinly sliced potatoes and pine nuts and served with rice.
Kousa Mahshi Rice and minced meat stuffed in zucchinis. Usually served with chicken and Wara' Aynab.
Maftul Large couscous like balls, garbanzo beans and chicken pieces cooked in chicken broth.
Malfuf Rice and minced meat rolled in cabbage leaves.
Mansaf The national dish of Jordan and the most distinctive Jordanian dish. Mansaf is a traditional dish made of lamb cooked in a sauce of fermented dried yogurt called Jameed and served with rice or bulgur.
Maqluba/Magluba A casserole made of layers of rice, vegetables and meat. After cooking, the pot is flipped upside-down onto the plate when served, hence the name maqluba which translates literally as "upside-down".
Mujaddara Lentil and rice casserole, garnished with roasted onions.
Musaqa'h Various Levantine variations of the Mediterranean dish are cooked in Jordan.
Mulukhiyah The leaves of Corchorus species used as a vegetable.
Musakhan Dish composed of roasted chicken baked with onions, sumac, allspice, saffron, and fried pine nuts served over taboon bread. It is also known as Muhammar.
Al-rashoof A winter meal consisting of coarse wheat flour, lentils and yogurt, popular in northern Jordan.
Stuffed Baby Lamb A popular dish in Jordan, which people enjoy as a big and heavy meal. It consists of roasted lamb, stuffed with rice, chopped onions, nuts and raisins.
Warag Aynab/Dawali Grape leaves filled with herbed, minced vegetables, meat and rice, cooked with olive oil. Sometimes called Dawali.
Zarb Bedouin barbecue. Meat and vegetables cooked in a large underground pit.

Mezze

By far the most dominant style of eating in Jordan, mezze is the small plate, salad, appetizer, community style eating, aided by dipping, dunking and otherwise scooping with bread. Mezze plates are typically rolled out before larger main dishes.
In a typical Jordanian mezze, you might find any combination of the following dishes:
NameDescription
Arab salad Combines many different vegetables and spices.
Bagdonsyyeh Parsley blended with tahini and lemon juice, usually served with sea food.
Falafel Balls of fried chickpea flour and Middle Eastern spice. Dipped in every mezze specially the hummus. The Jordanian falafel balls tend to come in smaller sizes.
Ful medames Crushed fava beans served with a variety of toppings such as olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, chili pepper, sumac and more.
Fattoush A salad made from toasted or fried pieces of pita bread combined with mixed greens and other vegetables, such as lettuce, radish and tomato.
Hummus Chick peas boiled and blended to perfect smoothness with tahini paste, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and perhaps topped with a little parsley.
Halloumi Semi-soft white cheese. Not quite as salty, crumbly and dry as feta cheese, but similar.
Khobbeizeh Little mallow cooked with olive oil.
Kibbeh labaniyyeh A minced meat and bulgur mixture similar to ordinary kubbeh, but boiled in Jordanian Jameed.
Kibbeh Nayyeh A minced meat and bulgur mixture similar to ordinary kubbeh, but the meat is served raw.
Kibbeh Herbed, minced meat covered in a crust of bulgur, then fried. Shaped like an American football.
Labaneh Jarashiyyeh Literally 'labaneh from Jerash. Creamy yogurt, so thick it can be spread on flat bread to make a sandwich.
Makdous/ Magdous Stuffed pickled eggplant, said to increase appetite.
Manakish/ Managish Flatbread dough usually topped with olive oil and za’atar blend. Other varieties may include cheese or ground meat and in this case it's called sfiha.
Moutabal Roasted, pureed potato or eggplant with garlic.
Olive oil One of the cornerstones of Jordanian food. For breakfast, Jordanians dip flatbread into the olive oil, then into the za'atar.
Pickled vegetables Jordanians enjoy pickled anything – carrots, radishes, cucumbers, cauliflower, and whatever other pickle-worthy vegetables might be around. Just about every mezze features a plate of these to add some tang and tart to the meal.
Samosa Fried dough balls stuffed with meat, pine nuts and onions.
Warag Aynab Vine leaves filled with herbed, minced vegetables, meat and rice.
Tabbouleh Vegetarian dish traditionally made of tomatoes, finely chopped parsley, mint, bulgur and onion, and seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. Some variations add garlic or lettuce, or use couscous instead of bulgur.
Za'atar A mixture of thyme and sesame seeds. Oregano, sage, or sumac can also be mixed in.
Zaitun Literally olive.
Baba ghanoush Eggplant mixed with onions, tomatoes, olive oil and various seasonings.
Yalanji Plate composed of vine leaves stuffed with rice, principally.
Tursu or A certain group of alkhdharat soak in water and salt in a pot and drawn from the air for the week such as: cucumber and cabbage, eggplant flower, carrot, radish, onion, lemon, olives, chili and beans.

Salads

NameDescription
Arabic salad Salad made of tomato, cucumber, onion, mint, olive oils and lemon juices.
Babba ghanoush Roasted eggplant, cut into pieces and tossed with tomatoes and onions.
Fattoush Chopped vegetable salad tossed with pieces of dry or fried flatbread and seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice and sumac.
Olive salad Cut with carrots, green pepper, chili, and olive oil.
Rocket salad Rucola leaves in Jordan are pretty large, tossed with olive oil and lemon.
Tabbouleh A salad of finely chopped parsley and mint turned with bulgur, tomatoes, onion and seasoned with olive oil and lemon juice.

Soups

In Jordan, meals are usually started with soups. Jordanian soups are usually named after their main ingredient such as:
NameDescription
Adas soup Served hot. Smashed brown, red or green lentils with chicken or meat broth and several varieties of spices. Other ingredients may include vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, celery, parsley, and onion.
Freekeh soup Served hot. Is a soup with Freekeh, chicken or meat broth and several varieties of spices.

Sandwiches

Bread