Jordanian Food

Jordanian cuisine. Everything food and drink in Jordan -- from mezze to mains, to coffee, tea and sweets. Just a taste of the places and faces that make Jordanian food go 'round. For more on Jordanian food, check out: From Mezze to Mansaf: Eating Our Way Through Jordan

Arabic Coffee Traditions - Wadi Rum, Jordan
Arabic coffee is a mixture of ground cardamom and coffee together (which is why it looks light here). It is poured into small cups and has a specific tradition and process of when to drink and how much to drink and how to hold the cup. Taken in a Bedouin tent in Wadi Rum, Jordan.
Eating Family Style in Azraq, Jordan
A large spread of mezze and other Druze food specialties served at a family home in Azraq, Jordan.
Full Tray of Mansaf - Dana, Jordan
A large tray of mansaf, a traditional Jordanian dish made from goat cooked in a yogurt/sour milk sauce, is ready for eating at Dana Guest House in Jordan.
Colorful Falafel Platter - Jerash, Jordan
A tray of balls of falafel with pickled vegetables, tomatoes and tahini. The falafel in Jordan was light and crispy.
Shawarma Master of Madaba, Jordan
Stopping for lunch at a roadside place with awesome chicken shawarma sandwiches on the outskirts of Madaba in Jordan.
What is Lunch in Jordan Without Hummus?
A typical mezze dish served at all meals of hummus. Made from blended chickpeas, tahini, oil, and lemon juice.
Aubergine-Garlic Dip (Moutabel) - Jerash, Jordan
A typical mezze dish of moutabel is made from crushed roasted aubergine (eggplant) mixed with garlic, olive oil, lemon juice. Really delicous.
Fully Baked Bedouin Bread (Abud) - Wadi Rum, Jordan
Wiping the ashes away from the Beduoin Bread (abud). After the hot ashes bake the bread, they need to be shaken off so you can eat it. Quite good, actually. Wadi Rum, Jordan.
Mint Tea on the Street - Amman, Jordan
We get some mint tea near Hussein Mosque in downtown Amman to warm up from the winter weather in Jordan.
Evening Sweets at the Four Seasons in Amman, Jordan
Jordan keeps trying to make sure we leave the country heavier than when we arrived - this tray is only for two people! From left to right: Baklawa, Asabea, Mabrumeh, Asabea with Cashew, Ush Bulbul, Asabea, Burma.
Falafel Making Machine - Amman, Jordan
This man was a falafel making machine, as if he worked permanantly on fast forward. Taken at a famous falafel and local restaurant in Amman, Jordan.
Lunch at Hashem - Amman, Jordan
Varieties of hummus and foul (crushed beans) for lunch at Hashem Restaurant, one of Amman's famous eating joints.
Large Trays of Knafeh at Habiba - Jordan
Knafeh is a Jordanian sweet made from a white cheese base with semolina bits baked on top and covered in sweet syrup. Very, very decadent. Taken at Habiba, a popular place in downtown Amman, Jordan.
A Large Foul (crushed beans) Display - Amman, Jordan
Foul is crushed beans cooked for a long time and served with a variety of condiments, spices and herbs. Here, you see sumak, cumin, fresh parsley, chili sauce, lemon juice, olive oil and there is probably more. This is a typical Jordanian dish.
Hearty Dose of Foul (crushed beans) - Amman, Jordan
Foul is crushed beans cooked for a long time and served with a variety of condiments, spices and herbs. Here, you see sumak, cumin, fresh parsley, chili sauce, lemon juice, olive oil and there is probably more. This is a typical Jordanian dish.
Olives, Beans, Salads -- Streets of Amman, Jordan
Makings for a mezze, Jordanian-style.
Friendly Tea Vendor at the Market in Downtown Amman, Jordan
A young guy delivers sweet mint tea back and forth to vendors working at the food market behind Hussein Mosque in downtown Amman, Jordan.
Piles of Zatar (Thyme mixture) at Market in Downtown Amman, Jordan
One of the common items on the breakfast table in Jordan is zatar, a mixture of dried thyme and sesame seeds. Here, you see it sold at the market behind Hussein Mosque in downtown Amman, Jordan.
Typical Mezze at Lunch (First Course) - Jerash, Jordan
What we think of as a full meal, the Jordanians think of as starters. Here, you see the mezze (first course) of a typical lunch in Jerash, Jordan.
Grinding the Cardamom for Arabic Coffee - Wadi Rum, Jordan
Shaban grinds cardamom seeds into a fine powder with a mortar and pestle. This is an important ingredient for Arabic coffee. Wadi Rum, Jordan.
Lime-Mint Juice - Amman, Jordan
A common drink in Jordan is lime juice mixed with ground mint. A sugar syrup is served on the side so that you can control the sweetness of your drink. Taken at the Four Seasons in Amman, Jordan.
Lunch with a View of the Red Sea - Aqaba, Jordan
A healthy and yummy lunch after our two dives in the Red Sea near Aqaba, Jordan.
Family Style Lunch with Women of Zikra Initiative - Jordan
A delicious vegetarian lunch of gallayet bandora (fresh tomatoes cooked with onion, garlic greens, chili peppers) and another similar dish with eggplant all eaten with shrak (flat bread). Everyone comes together to eat and share. Really a nice way to end the visit with Zikra Initiative in the community of Ghor al Mazra'a near the Dead Sea in Jordan.
Vegetable and Fruit Market in Downtown Amman, Jordan
The alley streets behind Hussein Mosque in downtown Amman are full of vegetable and fruit stalls.
Falafel at Al-Quds in Downtown Amman, Jordan
Al-Quds is a small street-side falafel joint near Rainbow Street in downtown Jordan. It is known as being the oldest falafel joint in Amman. Quite good falafel, too.