Aspects of life as a Jordanian: Food
Food is a mainstay in Jordanian life. Jordanians see meals as a time to gather and enjoy family and company. It is a very social function and, for this reason, all aspects of meals, from presentation to proportions, are culturally and socially important.
The rich tradition of Arabic food from all over the Middle East (from Syria and Lebanon to Palestine) has contributed to creating an entirely unique Jordanian cuisine. The wide variety of traditional foods includes everything from the diverse and delicious appetizers (mezze) to the copious national dish, mansaf.
MEZZE
The most well known mezze dish from the Middle East is probably hummus. Composed of chick peas (garbanzo beans, “hummus” in Arabic) mixed with tahini (sesame seed paste), olive oil and lemon juice, it is as common in Jordan as French fries are in America. It is often served with fresh, hot bread as an appetizer or side dish, but is also common as a breakfast dish. From region to region, and even from shop to shop, the hummus will have a different flavor. It is usually made on site and is garnished with olive oil and topped with anything from sumac (a VERY popular spice) and parsley to chili peppers.
Eggplant (among many other vegetables) is used regularly in Arabic cooking, in dishes such as, baba ghanouj (similar to, and just as delicious as, hummus, but made with baked eggplant as opposed to chick peas), or Makdoos (eggplant that has been pickled). Similar to hummus or baba ghanouj, fuul (cooked fava beans) is popular as a bread dip/garnish. Jordanians are famous for their dawali (stuffed grape leaves) and koosa mahishi (stuffed zucchini) as side dishes. Salad, usually made with chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and mint, is also a nice accompaniment to a meal, with or without a side of lebneh (unsweetened yogurt). These dishes are traditionally eaten with bread as a utensil. The appeal of the mezze is substantially enhanced by the presentation (i.e. decorative dishes), which is essential for a good, complete meal.
MAIN MEALS
Magloobah, called “upside down” in English, is a favorite main dish of many Jordanians. It has numerous possible variations; often it is made with chicken, but is easily adaptable to be made with just vegetables. The main contents (meat, vegetables, nuts, spices, etc.) are cooked and then covered in the pot with a thick layer of rice and left to simmer. After it is done cooking, the dish is flipped “upside down” onto the tray and served.
Of course, any discussion of Jordanian food cannot omit mansaf. This traditional Bedouin dish is reserved for the most special of occasions. It is often prepared with a locally raised and slaughtered lamb (at a price of up to 100JD a piece). The entire lamb is slow cooked and laid atop a giant bed of rice, and garnished with pine nuts. The basis of the mansef, though, is the jameed. It is a broth made of dried sour milk (traditionally made by setting it out in the hot desert sun all day to thicken and culture), which is poured generously over the entire dish. It is eaten by the men, who stand in a circle around the platter and eat with their right hand (the left hand is placed behind the back or in the pocket), forming small balls with rice, meat and jameed. The larger sized the dish the better, as more men can then take part.
After the main meal, it is traditional for people to move to a sitting room, where they can relax and talk – and prepare for dessert. Sweets are very popular after Jordanian meals and are usually offered generously and served with tea. The most common types are variations of baklava. Of course, taking your time and enjoying the sweets, as with the rest of the meal, is encouraged. At this point in the meal, it is more a time of socialization than of eating. But, a host will not hesitate to encourage you to eat more. To develop this further, the sweets are often followed by overflowing plates of fresh fruit. Although it may merely be a token gesture, it should be viewed as a sign of good hospitality. The meal is then closed out with a cup of Arabic coffee and dishes of mixed nuts.
JORDANIANS AND FOOD
Jordanian culture is characterized by unending generosity, which is exhibited in their culinary traditions. An invitation to a family’s home for a meal is a great honor, and the inviting family will go to great lengths to ensure that the meal is well received. The ability of a family to provide a generous meal to guests reflects on their affluence and their ability to give freely. For this reason, it is important to accept graciously all the food that is offered. Even after eating to satiation, a guest will be encouraged to eat more, and, if they refuse, they may be asked if the food was not good. This cultural two-step is often difficult for foreigners, but should not be considered problematic. Eating freely is seen as a sign of good health and is encouraged, to the chagrin of anorexic Westerners. The hosts merely want to ensure that guests are satisfied – thoroughly, of course.
Jordanians generally eat their largest meal in the afternoon, often with the whole family, and then take a light meal/snack in the late evening. As an easy and quick snack, shwermah (rolled flat bread filled with thin-sliced lamb) or falafel (pita bread filled with deep-fried chick pea balls, tahini sauce and fresh vegetables) are very popular – especially among younger Jordanians. Shops and cafés that make them are easily found all over, and they are often quite cheap.
Naturally, the wide variety of Jordanian food is not limited to what I have included here. Jordanians value food as a blessing from God and therefore thoroughly enjoy and celebrate their meals with friends and family. This makes exploring the many different types and tastes of Jordanian cooking an extremely exciting and memorable experience.
* This essay was written immediately after returning home from a bountiful 6 hour meal.
For some good Middle Eastern recipes:
http://www.ummah.org.uk/family/recipes.html
External Sources (aside from my personal experiences, of course):
(1) “Traditional Meals." http://www.gondol.com/English/food.htm
(2) “Eating the Jordanian Way.” http://www.settlement.org/cp/english/jordan/eating.html
The rich tradition of Arabic food from all over the Middle East (from Syria and Lebanon to Palestine) has contributed to creating an entirely unique Jordanian cuisine. The wide variety of traditional foods includes everything from the diverse and delicious appetizers (mezze) to the copious national dish, mansaf.
MEZZE
 |
| Some mezze. |
Eggplant (among many other vegetables) is used regularly in Arabic cooking, in dishes such as, baba ghanouj (similar to, and just as delicious as, hummus, but made with baked eggplant as opposed to chick peas), or Makdoos (eggplant that has been pickled). Similar to hummus or baba ghanouj, fuul (cooked fava beans) is popular as a bread dip/garnish. Jordanians are famous for their dawali (stuffed grape leaves) and koosa mahishi (stuffed zucchini) as side dishes. Salad, usually made with chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and mint, is also a nice accompaniment to a meal, with or without a side of lebneh (unsweetened yogurt). These dishes are traditionally eaten with bread as a utensil. The appeal of the mezze is substantially enhanced by the presentation (i.e. decorative dishes), which is essential for a good, complete meal.
MAIN MEALS
Magloobah, called “upside down” in English, is a favorite main dish of many Jordanians. It has numerous possible variations; often it is made with chicken, but is easily adaptable to be made with just vegetables. The main contents (meat, vegetables, nuts, spices, etc.) are cooked and then covered in the pot with a thick layer of rice and left to simmer. After it is done cooking, the dish is flipped “upside down” onto the tray and served.
Of course, any discussion of Jordanian food cannot omit mansaf. This traditional Bedouin dish is reserved for the most special of occasions. It is often prepared with a locally raised and slaughtered lamb (at a price of up to 100JD a piece). The entire lamb is slow cooked and laid atop a giant bed of rice, and garnished with pine nuts. The basis of the mansef, though, is the jameed. It is a broth made of dried sour milk (traditionally made by setting it out in the hot desert sun all day to thicken and culture), which is poured generously over the entire dish. It is eaten by the men, who stand in a circle around the platter and eat with their right hand (the left hand is placed behind the back or in the pocket), forming small balls with rice, meat and jameed. The larger sized the dish the better, as more men can then take part.
After the main meal, it is traditional for people to move to a sitting room, where they can relax and talk – and prepare for dessert. Sweets are very popular after Jordanian meals and are usually offered generously and served with tea. The most common types are variations of baklava. Of course, taking your time and enjoying the sweets, as with the rest of the meal, is encouraged. At this point in the meal, it is more a time of socialization than of eating. But, a host will not hesitate to encourage you to eat more. To develop this further, the sweets are often followed by overflowing plates of fresh fruit. Although it may merely be a token gesture, it should be viewed as a sign of good hospitality. The meal is then closed out with a cup of Arabic coffee and dishes of mixed nuts.
JORDANIANS AND FOOD
Jordanian culture is characterized by unending generosity, which is exhibited in their culinary traditions. An invitation to a family’s home for a meal is a great honor, and the inviting family will go to great lengths to ensure that the meal is well received. The ability of a family to provide a generous meal to guests reflects on their affluence and their ability to give freely. For this reason, it is important to accept graciously all the food that is offered. Even after eating to satiation, a guest will be encouraged to eat more, and, if they refuse, they may be asked if the food was not good. This cultural two-step is often difficult for foreigners, but should not be considered problematic. Eating freely is seen as a sign of good health and is encouraged, to the chagrin of anorexic Westerners. The hosts merely want to ensure that guests are satisfied – thoroughly, of course.
Jordanians generally eat their largest meal in the afternoon, often with the whole family, and then take a light meal/snack in the late evening. As an easy and quick snack, shwermah (rolled flat bread filled with thin-sliced lamb) or falafel (pita bread filled with deep-fried chick pea balls, tahini sauce and fresh vegetables) are very popular – especially among younger Jordanians. Shops and cafés that make them are easily found all over, and they are often quite cheap.
Naturally, the wide variety of Jordanian food is not limited to what I have included here. Jordanians value food as a blessing from God and therefore thoroughly enjoy and celebrate their meals with friends and family. This makes exploring the many different types and tastes of Jordanian cooking an extremely exciting and memorable experience.
* This essay was written immediately after returning home from a bountiful 6 hour meal.
For some good Middle Eastern recipes:
http://www.ummah.org.uk/family/recipes.html
External Sources (aside from my personal experiences, of course):
(1) “Traditional Meals." http://www.gondol.com/English/food.htm
(2) “Eating the Jordanian Way.” http://www.settlement.org/cp/english/jordan/eating.html
posted by Aaron Berdanier at 9:29 PM Permalink
