Food & Drink

Jordanian cuisine is Arab-Levantine with strong Bedouin influences. It shares many dishes with Palestinian, Lebanese, and Syrian cuisines, but has its own specialties found nowhere else. The cornerstones: olive oil, yogurt (Laban), lamb, chickpeas, spices (Za'atar, sumac, cumin), and of course, flatbread (Khubz) — which accompanies every meal.

Mansaf — The National Dish

Mansaf is more than a dish — it is a cultural ritual. Tender lamb in a creamy sauce made from Jameed (dried, fermented goat's milk yogurt) is served on a mound of fragrant spiced rice, laid on a large flatbread. On top: roasted almonds, pine nuts, and parsley.

Traditionally, Mansaf is eaten with the right hand: Small balls of rice and meat are formed and brought to the mouth without resting the arm on the elbow. At celebrations, the platter is placed on the floor, and guests eat standing around it — the guest of honor receives the lamb's head.

Mansaf is available in every Jordanian restaurant (5–10 JOD) and is the standard meal at weddings, funerals, receptions, and family gatherings. Leaving Jordan without having eaten Mansaf means you haven't truly been to Jordan.

Other Classics

Mezze — The Appetizer Galaxy

Every Jordanian meal begins with a mezze round: Dozens of small plates covering the entire table:

• Hummus: Chickpea puree with tahini, olive oil, and lemon. The base of everything.
• Mutabbal (Baba Ghanoush): Grilled eggplant puree with tahini — smoky and creamy.
• Tabbouleh: Parsley-bulgur salad with tomato and mint — refreshing.
• Fattoush: Bread salad with vegetables and sumac dressing.
• Labneh: Strained yogurt, thick like cream cheese, with olive oil and Za'atar.
• Falafel: Fried chickpea balls — perfectly crispy on the outside, green and fluffy inside in Jordan.

Zarb — The Bedouin BBQ

In Wadi Rum and with the Bedouins, you can experience Zarb — the traditional desert BBQ: Lamb (or chicken) and vegetables (potatoes, carrots, onions) are layered in an earth oven and cooked under hot sand for hours. The result is incredibly tender, aromatic meat. The moment when the Bedouin shovels aside the sand to reveal the steaming dishes is an experience in itself.

Knafeh — The Sweet Sin

Knafeh is the most popular dessert in the Levant and a small obsession in Jordan. A dough made from fine angel hair noodles (Kadaifi) is filled with soft, salty cheese (Nabulsi), baked in butter, and drenched in sugar syrup (perfumed with orange blossom water), topped with chopped pistachios. The result: crispy, cheesy, sweet, warm — and absolutely irresistible. The best Knafeh in Amman can be found at Habibah Sweets at the entrance of Rainbow Street (0.50 JOD/portion).

Tea — The National Drink

Jordan is a tea country. Black tea (Chai), heavily sweetened and often flavored with sage (Maramiya) or mint (Na'na'), is consumed at any time of day — in the morning, after meals, during business dealings, in the desert, everywhere. The small glasses (Istikan) are served with three spoons of sugar, and it would be impolite to refuse the first cup.

In the desert and with the Bedouins, the tea is brewed over an open fire in a soot-blackened kettle — with sage, sometimes with cardamom. This desert tea tastes best by the campfire under the starry sky.

Coffee

Two types dominate:

• Qahwa Sada (Bedouin coffee): Lightly roasted coffee flavored with cardamom, without sugar, poured from a long-spouted pot (Dallah) into tiny cups. Served at formal occasions and in Bedouin tents. Tradition: Slightly shake the cup when you've had enough.
• Turkish coffee: Strong, sweet (sada = without, wassat = medium, helwa = sweet), with grounds in the cup. Available in every café. Don't drink the grounds!

Alcohol

Jordan is not a dry country: Alcohol is legal and available in many restaurants, bars, and supermarkets.

• Beer: Amman's craft beer scene is growing — Carakale is the first Jordanian craft brewery. Otherwise: Amstel, Heineken, Philadelphia (local). 2–4 JOD in restaurants.
• Arak: The Levantine aniseed spirit, similar to Ouzo or Raki. Mixed with water and ice (turns milky-white). The traditional drink for a mezze evening.
• Wine: Jordanian wine is surprisingly good! The wineries Saint George, Jordan River, and Zumot produce decent red and white wines. From 5 JOD in restaurants.

During Ramadan, most restaurants do not serve alcohol, but it is available in hotels and bars for tourists.

Refreshments

• Freshly squeezed juices: Orange juice, pomegranate juice, sugarcane juice — at every street corner. 0.50–1 JOD.
• Jallab: Sweet drink made from dates, grape molasses, and rose water, with pine nuts and raisins — refreshing and unique.
• Ayran (Laban): Salty, diluted yogurt drink — perfect in the heat.

Where to Eat?

• Street Stalls & Falafel Stands: The best value for money. Falafel sandwich 0.50 JOD, Shawarma 0.75 JOD, hummus plate 1 JOD. On every corner in Downtown Amman.
• Local Restaurants: Jordanian cuisine with floor cushions or regular tables. Mansaf 5–8 JOD, Maqlubeh (upside-down rice) 4–6 JOD. Authentic and affordable.
• Fine Dining Restaurants (Amman): The capital has an amazing culinary scene: Lebanese, Italian, Japanese, and modern Arabic cuisine at an international level. West Amman (Abdoun, Sweifieh, Rainbow Street). 15–30 JOD per person.
• Rooftop Restaurants (Amman): Dining with a view over the city — especially on Rainbow Street and in Abdali. Shisha is almost a must.
• Hotel Restaurants: Especially at the Dead Sea and in Aqaba, where the selection is otherwise limited. Buffet style, international, 15–25 JOD.

Price Level