Jordanian cuisine is a Middle Eastern cuisine that has the traditional style of

food preparation Food is any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is ing ...

originating from, or commonly used in,

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...

that has developed through 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 Vegetables are parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. The original meaning is still commonly used and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including the flowers, fruits, stems ...

(courgettes, capsicum, eggplants, etc.). Meat is an important component of Jordanian cuisine. The most common types of meat in Jordan are

lamb Lamb or The Lamb may refer to: * A young sheep * Lamb and mutton, the meat of sheep Arts and media Film, television, and theatre * ''The Lamb'' (1915 film), a silent film starring Douglas Fairbanks Sr. in his screen debut * ''The Lamb'' (1918 ...

beef Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). In prehistoric times, humankind hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since that time, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quantit ...

, chicken and sometimes

goat The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a domesticated species of goat-antelope typically kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the a ...

and camel meat. Also common in Jordanian cuisine is roasting or preparing foods with special sauces. Rice plays an important role in Jordanian cuisine. It is commonly served as a side dish to main meals, but there are also plenty of one-pot rice dishes such as ''maqloubah''. As one of the largest producers of

olives The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' 'M ...

in the world, olive oil is the main cooking oil in

. Herbs, garlic,

onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus ''Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onio ...

tomato sauce Tomato sauce (also known as ''salsa roja'' in Spanish or ''salsa di pomodoro'' in Italian) can refer to many different sauces made primarily from tomatoes, usually to be served as part of a dish, rather than as a condiment. Tomato sauces are c ...

and

lemon The lemon (''Citrus limon'') is a species of small evergreen trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, native to Asia, primarily Northeast India (Assam), Northern Myanmar or China. The tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for culin ...

are typical flavors found in Jordan. The blend of spices called ''

za'atar Za'atar ( ; ar, زَعْتَر, ) is a culinary herb or family of herbs. It is also the name of a spice mixture that includes the herb along with toasted sesame seeds, dried sumac, often salt, as well as other spices. As a family of rela ...

'' contains a common local herb called

sumac Sumac ( or ), also spelled sumach, is any of about 35 species of flowering plants in the genus ''Rhus'' and related genera in the cashew family (Anacardiaceae). Sumacs grow in subtropical and temperate regions throughout the world, including Eas ...

that grows wild in Jordan and is closely identified with Jordanian and other Middle Eastern countries.

Yogurt Yogurt (; , from tr, yoğurt, also spelled yoghurt, yogourt or yoghourt) is a food produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. The bacteria used to make yogurt are known as ''yogurt cultures''. Fermentation of sugars in the milk by these bac ...

is commonly served alongside food and is a common ingredient itself; in particular, ''

jameed Jameed (Arabic: جميد, literally "hardened") is a Beduin- Jordanian food (mainly the Levant, Iraq, Arabia, Balochistan and Afghanistan) consisting of hard dry laban made from ewe or goat's milk. Milk is kept in a fine woven cheesecloth to ma ...

'', a form of dried yogurt is unique to Jordanian cuisine and a main ingredient in ''

mansaf Mansaf ( ar, منسف) is a traditional Jordanian dish made of lamb cooked in a sauce of fermented dried yogurt and served with rice or bulgur. It is a popular dish eaten throughout the Levant. It is considered the national dish of Jordan, and ...

'' the national dish of

, and a symbol in Jordanian culture for generosity. Another famous meat dish in Jordan is '' zarb''. It is especially popular in areas inhabited by Bedouin tribes such as Petra and the desert of

Wadi Rum Wadi Rum ( ar, وادي رم ''Wādī Ramm'', also ''Wādī al-Ramm''), known also as the Valley of the Moon ( ar, وادي القمر ''Wādī al-Qamar''), is a valley cut into the sandstone and granite rock in southern Jordan, about to the east ...

where it is commonly served to tourists. Zarb is prepared in a submerged oven called a ''

taboon A tabun oven, or simply tabun (also transliterated taboon, from the ar, طابون), is a clay oven, shaped like a truncated cone, with an opening at the bottom from which to stoke the fire. Built and used in biblical times as the family, neig ...

'', and is considered a delicacy. It consists of a selection of meat (usually chicken and lamb), vegetables (zucchini, eggplant, carrots, potatoes) and is served with rice and various meze, such as tabbouleh salad. Internationally known foods which are common and popular everyday snacks in Jordan include '' hummus'', which is a purée of chick peas blended with '' tahini'', lemon, and garlic, and ''

falafel Falafel (; ar, فلافل, ) is a deep-fried ball or patty-shaped fritter in Middle Eastern cuisine (especially in Levantine and Egyptian cuisines) made from ground chickpeas, broad beans, or both. Nowadays, falafel is often served ...

'', a deep-fried ball or patty made from ground chickpeas. A typical

mezze Meze or mezza (, ) is a selection of small dishes served as appetizers in the Levant, Turkey, Greece, the Balkans, the Caucasus and Iran. It is similar to Spanish tapas and Italian antipasti. A mezze may be served as a part of a multi-course ...

includes foods such as ''

kibbeh Kibbeh (, also kubba and other spellings; ar, كبة, kibba; tr, içli köfte) is a family of dishes based on spiced ground meat, onions, and grain, popular in Middle Eastern cuisine. In Levantine cuisine, kibbeh is usually made by pounding ...

'', ''

labaneh Strained yogurt, Greek yogurt, yogurt cheese, sack yogurt, or kerned yogurt is yogurt that has been strained to remove most of its whey, resulting in a thicker consistency than normal unstrained yogurt, while still preserving the distinctive so ...

'', ''

baba ghanoush Baba ghanoush (, ;"baba ghanouj"
(US) and

'', ''

tabbouleh Tabbouleh ( ar, تبولة, translit=tabbūla; also tabouleh, tabbouli, tabouli, or taboulah) is a Levantine salad made mostly of finely chopped parsley, with tomatoes, mint, onion, bulgur (soaked, not cooked), and seasoned with olive oil, lemon ...

'',

and

pickles Pickles may refer to: Dogs * Pickles (dog) (died 1967), a dog that found the stolen World Cup trophy in 1966 * Pickles (pickleball), a dog often cited as the name origin for the sport of pickleball * Mr. Pickles, the titular demonic dog in ...

. Bread,

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and '' Porteresia'', both wild and domesticat ...

, ''

freekeh Freekeh (sometimes spelled frikeh) or farik ( ar, فريكة / ALA-LC: ''farīkah''; pronounced ''free-kah'' /ˈfɹiːkə/) is a cereal food made from green durum wheat (''Triticum turgidum'' var. durum) that is roasted and rubbed to create it ...

'' and

bulgur Bulgur (from tr, bulgur, itself from fa, بلغور, bolġur (bolghur)/balġur (balghur), groats ), also riffoth (from biblical he, ריפות, riffoth) and burghul (from ar, برغل, burġul ), is a cracked wheat dish found ...

all have a role in Jordanian cuisine. Popular desserts include as '' baklava'', ''

knafeh Knafeh ( ar, كنافة) is a traditional Middle Eastern dessert made with spun pastry called ''kataifi'', soaked in a sweet, sugar-based syrup called attar, and typically layered with cheese, or with other ingredients such as clotted cream, pis ...

'', '' halva'' and ''

qatayef Qatayef or katayef or qata'if ( ar, قطايف, ), is an Arab dessert commonly served during the month of Ramadan, a sort of sweet dumpling filled with cream or nuts. It can be described as a folded pancake, similar to a Scottish crumpet. Etym ...

'' (a dish made specially for Ramadan), in addition to seasonal fruits such as

watermelon Watermelon (''Citrullus lanatus'') is a flowering plant species of the Cucurbitaceae family and the name of its edible fruit. A scrambling and trailing vine-like plant, it is a highly cultivated fruit worldwide, with more than 1,000 varie ...

figs The fig is the edible fruit of ''Ficus carica'', a species of small tree in the flowering plant family Moraceae. Native to the Mediterranean and western Asia, it has been cultivated since ancient times and is now widely grown throughout the world ...

and cactus pear which are served in summer.

Turkish coffee Turkish coffee is a style of coffee prepared in a '' cezve'' using very finely ground coffee beans without filtering. Preparation Turkish coffee is very finely ground coffee brewed by boiling. Any coffee bean may be used; arabica varieties are ...

and

tea Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of ''Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern China and north ...

flavored with

mint MiNT is Now TOS (MiNT) is a free software alternative operating system kernel for the Atari ST system and its successors. It is a multi-tasking alternative to TOS and MagiC. Together with the free system components fVDI device drivers, XaA ...

sage Sage or SAGE may refer to: Plants * ''Salvia officinalis'', common sage, a small evergreen subshrub used as a culinary herb ** Lamiaceae, a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint or deadnettle or sage family ** ''Salvia'', a large ...

are almost ubiquitous in Jordan. Arabic coffee is also usually served on more formal occasions.

History

Food culture and traditions

Jordanian cuisine is a part of

Levantine cuisine Levantine cuisine is the traditional cuisine of the Levant. Perhaps the most distinctive aspect of Levantine cuisine is ''meze'' including '' tabbouleh'', ''hummus'' and ''baba ghanoush''. Levantine dishes * Arabic coffee (قهوة عر ...

and shares many traits and similarities with the cuisine of

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...

, Palestine and Syria, often with some local variations. More generally Jordanian cuisine is influenced by historical connections to the cuisine of

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...

and the former

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

. Jordanian cuisine is also influenced by the cuisines of groups who have made a home for themselves in modern Jordan, including

Armenians Armenians ( hy, հայեր, '' hayer'' ) are an ethnic group native to the Armenian highlands of Western Asia. Armenians constitute the main population of Armenia and the ''de facto'' independent Artsakh. There is a wide-ranging diasp ...

Circassians The Circassians (also referred to as Cherkess or Adyghe; Adyghe and Kabardian: Адыгэхэр, romanized: ''Adıgəxər'') are an indigenous Northwest Caucasian ethnic group and nation native to the historical country-region of Circassia ...

, 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

are marked with dishes from Jordanian cuisine spread out and served to the guests. Customs such as

weddings A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marria ...

, birth of a child, funerals, birthdays and specific religious and national ceremonies such as Ramadan and

'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 culinary

Main dishes

Mezze

By far the most dominant style of eating in

, ''

'' 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:

Salads

Soups

In Jordan, meals are usually started with soups. Jordanian soups are usually named after their main ingredient such as:

Sandwiches

Bread

* ''Abud''—a dense, unleavened traditional Jordanian Bedouin flatbread baked directly in a wood fire by burying in ash and covering with hot embers. * ''

Ka'ak ''Ka'ak'' ( ar, كعك, also transliterated ''kaak'') or ''kahqa'' is the common Arabic word for biscuit, and can refer to several different types of baked goods produced throughout the Arab world and the Near East. The bread, in Middle Eastern ...

'' (كعك)—a traditional Jordanian bread made mostly in a large leaf- or ring-shape and covered with sesame seeds. * ''Karadeesh''—a traditional Jordanian bread made from corn. * ''

Khubz Khubz, alternatively transliterated as ''khoubz'', ''khobez'', ''khubez'', or ''khubooz'', ), date=February 2022, is the usual word for "bread" in Standard Arabic and in many of the vernaculars. Among the breads popular in Middle Eastern countrie ...

'' (خبز, pita): Literally, "generic" bread, with a pocket. * ''Shrak''—a traditional Bedouin bread, popular in Jordan and the region as a whole. It is thrown to great thinness before being tossed onto a hot iron griddle called '' saj'' that's shaped like an inverted wok. Also known as ''markook'' (خبز). * ''Taboon'' (خبز طابون‎)—a flatbread wrap used in many cuisines. It is traditionally baked in a ''tabun'' oven and eaten with different fillings. Also known as ''

laffa Laffa, also known as lafa or Iraqi pita, is a large, thin flatbread in Israeli cuisine with an Iraqi origin. Laffa is a simple bread that is traditionally dairy-free and vegan and cooked in a '' tannur'' (tandoor) or ''taboon'' oven. It is mos ...

'' bread, it is sold as

street food Street food is ready-to-eat food or drinks sold by a hawker, or vendor, in a street or at other public places, such as markets or fairs. It is often sold from a portable food booth, food cart, or food truck and is meant for immediate consumpt ...

, stuffed with '' hummus'', ''

'' or shaved meat.

Sweets

* '' Baklava'' (بقلاوة)—a dessert made with thin layers of

phyllo pastry Filo or phyllo is a very thin unleavened dough used for making pastries such as baklava and börek in Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisines. Filo-based pastries are made by layering many sheets of filo brushed with oil or butter; the pastry is the ...

filled with chopped nuts and soaked in honey or syrup. * '' Halva'' (حلوى)—a Middle-Eastern confection made from sesame flour and milk mixed with other ingredients, typically made with pistachios. * ''

Knafeh Knafeh ( ar, كنافة) is a traditional Middle Eastern dessert made with spun pastry called ''kataifi'', soaked in a sweet, sugar-based syrup called attar, and typically layered with cheese, or with other ingredients such as clotted cream, pis ...

'' (كُنافة)—a cheese pastry of shredded phyllo soaked in sugar-based syrup. * ''

Qatayef Qatayef or katayef or qata'if ( ar, قطايف, ), is an Arab dessert commonly served during the month of Ramadan, a sort of sweet dumpling filled with cream or nuts. It can be described as a folded pancake, similar to a Scottish crumpet. Etym ...

'' (قطايف)—a sweet dumpling stuffed with cream and pistachios. Consumed during Ramadan. * '' Warbat'' (وربات)—a pastry of thin layers of phyllo pastry filled with custard. Often eaten during the month of Ramadan.

Beverages

* Arabic coffee (''Qahwa sada'', قهوة عربية)—typically the domain of the Bedouins, consisting of ground fire-roasted beans and cardamom drawn thin and served in espresso-sized servings. * Lime-mint juice—consists of lemon and mint. * '' Qamar eddine'' (قمر الدين‎)—apricot juice, usually served in Ramadan. * ''

Sahlab Salep, also spelled sahlep or sahlab,( tr, salep, sahlep; fa, ثعلب, ; ar, سحلب, ; al, salep; az, səhləb; he, סַחְלָבּ, ; el, σαλέπι, ; Serbian, Macedonian, Bulgarian and Bosnian: салеп, ''salep'') is a flour ...

'' (سحلب)—boiled milk with starch from ''

Orchis ''Orchis'' is a genus in the orchid family (Orchidaceae), occurring mainly in Europe and Northwest Africa, and ranging as far as Tibet, Mongolia, and Xinjiang. The name is from the Ancient Greek ὄρχις ''orchis'', meaning "testicle", from ...

'' tubers, covered with smashed coconut and cinnamon. * '' Shaneeneh'' (شنينة)—a refreshing Jordanian beverage, consists of salty-sour aged goat milk yogurt, served cold. * ''Tamar hindi'' (تمر هندي)—a very popular sweet-and-sour Ramadan drink made with tamarind juice. * Tea (شاي أسود)—usually

black tea Black tea, also translated to red tea in various East Asian languages, is a type of tea that is more oxidized than oolong, yellow, white and green teas. Black tea is generally stronger in flavour than other teas. All five types are made from ...

, typically flavored with '' na'na'' (mint) or ''meramiyyeh'' (sage) with copious amounts of sugar. Alghazaleen and Lipton are the most popular brands of tea in Jordan. * Turkish-style coffee (قهوة تركية)—significantly stronger than its Arabic brother. Water is heated in a long-handled metal cup and the grounds (and any sugar) are mixed in as the combination is brewed over a gas flame to bubbling.

References

External links

The Flavor of Jordan video
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jordanian Cuisine Arab cuisine Levantine cuisine Middle Eastern cuisine

History

Food culture and traditions

Jordanian culinary

Main dishes

Mezze

Salads

Soups

Sandwiches

Bread

Sweets

Beverages

See also

References

External links