Jordanian cuisine is Levantine at heart—mansaf is the national treasure, served with generous hospitality.
Mansaf
National Dish
Lamb cooked in fermented yogurt sauce, served on rice—Bedouin celebration dish.
Ingredients: 500g lamb (bone-in), Jameed (fermented dried yogurt) or thick yogurt, 480ml rice, Ghee, Almonds, pine nuts, Flatbread (shrak).
Preparation: Rehydrate jameed, blend smooth. Cook lamb until very tender. Add jameed sauce, simmer gently. Then cook rice with broth. Layer: bread, rice, meat, sauce. To finish, top with nuts fried in ghee.
💡 Traditionally eaten with right hand—form rice balls to scoop.
Falafel
Chickpea Fritters
Crispy fried chickpea balls—Amman street food staple.
Ingredients: 480ml dried chickpeas, 1 onion, Garlic, parsley, cilantro, Cumin, coriander, Baking powder, Oil for frying.
Preparation: Soak chickpeas overnight. Then grind with herbs and spices. Add baking powder, rest 1 hour. Form balls. Then deep fry until deep golden. To finish, serve in pita with pickles and tahini.
💡 Never use canned chickpeas—texture will be wrong.
Maqluba
Upside-Down Rice
Layered rice, vegetables, and meat flipped for presentation.
Ingredients: 240ml rice, 300g chicken or lamb, 1 eggplant, fried, 1 cauliflower, fried, Onion, tomato, Baharat spices.
Preparation: Fry eggplant and cauliflower slices. Brown meat with onions and spices. Layer in pot: meat, vegetables, rice. Then add broth, cook until rice done. Flip onto large platter. Finally, serve with yogurt and salad.
💡 The flip is dramatic—practice with confidence!
Jordan is one of the oldest wine-producing landscapes on Earth — biblical references to the "land of milk and honey" also describe a land of vineyards, and archaeological evidence confirms winemaking in the region for at least 5,000 years. The Nabataeans, who carved Petra from sandstone, were significant wine traders, and Roman-era wine presses have been excavated across the Jordanian highlands. Modern Jordan, while predominantly Muslim (approximately 97%), maintains a tolerant attitude toward alcohol among its Christian minority and in tourist areas, and possesses a small but genuine wine industry.
Zumot Winery (also known as St. George), founded by the Zumot family near Madaba, is Jordan's oldest and most significant winery, producing Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay from vineyards at approximately 800 meters elevation on the highland plateau east of the Dead Sea. The Jordan River Winery and the newer Eagle Distilleries have expanded the industry. Jordanian wines are straightforward — warm-climate reds with ripe fruit and moderate complexity — but represent a genuine viticultural effort in a challenging environment. The country also produces arak, the anise-flavored spirit shared with Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine, as well as date wine in the Jordan Valley. Total vineyard area is modest, and production serves primarily the domestic tourism, hotel, and Christian community markets.
✍️ Author's Note
Radim Kaufmann
Drinking Zumot Cabernet on the terrace of a restaurant in Madaba, with the mosaic map of the Holy Land glowing inside the church across the street, I was struck by the continuity — vineyards have grown on these same limestone hills since before the Nabataeans carved Petra. The wine was simple but honest, and the setting was extraordinary. Jordan proves that winemaking can persist across millennia, even in lands where it is no longer the dominant cultural tradition.
