Jordan isn’t just a place you visit — it’s a place you taste.
Beyond the rose-red stones of Petra and the sweeping sands of Wadi Rum, the heart of Jordanian culture is simmering gently in kitchens, sizzling over coals in alleyway stalls, and being passed around shared plates at family tables. This is a land where food is memory, tradition, and a way of saying “welcome.”
Join us on a culinary trail through Jordan that doesn’t just feed you — it connects you.
Mansaf: A Ceremony on a Plate
This isn’t just Jordan’s national dish — it’s a rite of passage.
Mansaf is slow-cooked lamb served on a bed of rice and paper-thin shrak bread, all drenched in jameed, a rich, tangy yogurt sauce made from dried goat’s milk. What makes it powerful isn’t just its flavor — it’s the way it’s eaten: communally, standing around a giant platter, with the right hand only, shaping perfect bites like edible origami.
Want to understand Jordanian hospitality? Start here.
Maqluba: The Dish That Flips Expectations
Literally meaning “upside-down,” Maqluba is a savory architectural feat.
Vegetables, meat, and rice are stacked in a pot — then flipped onto a serving plate like a golden, fragrant sandcastle. Every spoonful is soft yet crispy, seasoned yet subtle. It’s the kind of dish a grandmother serves with pride, and the kind a traveler remembers long after the last bite.
Zarb: The Underground Secret of the Desert
In the sands of Wadi Rum, tradition goes beneath the surface.
Zarb is a Bedouin barbecue cooked underground, where marinated meats and vegetables are lowered into an earthen oven and slow cooked for hours. As the stars begin to light the sky, the ground is opened, and the feast revealed — smoky, tender, and impossibly flavorful.
This is more than dinner. It’s ritual, rhythm, and reward.
Street Food That Speaks Volumes
In the buzz of downtown Amman, food is fast, flavorful, and full of soul.
Try falafel that crackles when you bite it, or creamy hummus made from chickpeas so soft they practically hum. Grab a warm sfiha (meat pastry), sip sweet mint tea, and finish with knafeh, a sticky-sweet dessert of cheese, pastry, and syrup that dances between indulgent and divine.
Mezze: The Art of the Shared Table
Here, meals begin not with one dish, but many.
Mezze is Jordan’s version of small plates — fresh tabbouleh, smoky moutabal, tangy labneh, stuffed grape leaves, and much more — all designed to be dipped, passed, shared, and talked over.
You don’t just eat mezze. You linger with it.
Eat With Jordanians, Not Just Around Them
At Zaman Tours, we believe the most memorable meals are the ones you don’t find on a menu.
That’s why we invite you to dine in real homes, learn recipes passed through generations, and cook alongside locals in Madaba, Ajloun, or Petra. You’ll leave with more than full stomachs — you’ll leave with stories, friendships, and maybe even a family recipe or two.
Hungry to Explore Jordan Differently?
Our custom Culinary Experiences include:
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Food-focused city tours of Amman & Madaba
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Home-cooked meals with local families
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Hands-on cooking classes in authentic kitchens
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Traditional desert feasts in Wadi Rum
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Special tastings of olive oil, za’atar, and Arabic sweets
Let your next adventure be guided by your tastebuds — and by us.
Book your Culinary Journey with Zaman Tours
Where every bite tells a story — and every story brings you closer to Jordan.
