Jordanian Food

Jordanian Food: Our school is located in the heart of Jabal Al-Weibdeh, one of Amman’s most charming and culturally vibrant neighborhoods, surrounded by a wide variety of dining options. From casual cafés to full-service restaurants, students can easily enjoy a delicious meal at any time of the day.

Nearby menus feature a mix of classic Jordanian dishes such as falafel, hummus, foul, mansaf, maqlouba, and kunafa, alongside popular Levantine street food like shawarma and shish tawouk. For those looking for international flavors, options include Thai, Chinese, American, and Middle Eastern fusion cuisine. Vegetarian, vegan, and other dietary-specific choices are also readily available.

While our school is generally closed during typical breakfast and dinner hours, our team is always happy to recommend reliable nearby restaurants, cafés, and supermarkets, ensuring students can find convenient, satisfying, and authentic meals during their time in Amman.

Topic	Key Information
School Location	Located in Jabal Al-Weibdeh, a culturally vibrant neighborhood with many dining options.
Nearby Cuisine Options	Local Jordanian dishes: falafel, hummus, foul, mansaf, maqlouba, kunafa; Levantine street food: shawarma, shish tawouk; International: Thai, Chinese, American, Middle Eastern fusion. Vegetarian, vegan, and dietary-specific options available.
Dining Support	School staff recommend nearby restaurants, cafés, and supermarkets; school generally closed during breakfast and dinner hours.
Food Culture	Large communal meals are a social tradition; Jordanian cuisine balances grains, meats, dairy, and vegetables; influenced by Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine.
Appetizers & Everyday Favorites	Mezze/muqabalat: cheeses, salads, cucumbers, tomatoes, greens, olive-oil or pickled vegetables; hummus, fattoush, tabbouleh, koubbeh, foul moudames.
Signature Dishes	Grilled meats: shish tawouk, kebabs; maqluba (flipped casserole); shawarma and falafel as quick meals; mansaf (national dish: lamb or chicken in yogurt sauce with rice, pine nuts, almonds; eaten communally).
Desserts	Sweet pastries and cookies; served with cardamom coffee or tea; popular items: baklava, basbousa, kunafa, qatayif.
10 Must-Try Foods	Mansaf, Maqlouba, Falafel & Hummus, Shawarma, Zarb, Kunafa, Musakhan, Warak Enab, Fattet Hummus, Arabic Coffee & Bedouin Tea.

Food Culture and Culinary Influences in Jordan

Sharing large meals is an important social tradition in the Middle East, and in Jordan it is especially meaningful. Families—both close and extended—often come together to enjoy generous dishes served on large, communal platters, making meals a central and celebratory part of daily life and special occasions.

Jordanian cuisine reflects a balanced combination of grains, meats, dairy products, and fresh vegetables. Strongly influenced by neighboring countries such as Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine, it features a wide range of dishes, from grilled meats and poultry like kebabs and shish tawouk to stuffed vegetables, including grape leaves, bell peppers, and eggplants.

Appetizers and Everyday Favorites

As in many Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cultures, appetizers play a key role in the local dining experience. These starters, known as mezze or muqabalat, are typically served as an assortment of small plates that may include cheeses, fresh salads, cucumbers, tomatoes, leafy greens, and a variety of vegetables that are either cooked in olive oil or preserved through pickling.

One of the most commonly enjoyed appetizers is a creamy blend of chickpeas, sesame paste, lemon, and garlic known as hummus. Other popular dishes include fattoush and tabbouleh salads, as well as koubbeh, a specialty made from cracked wheat. Foul moudames, prepared from slow-cooked fava beans, is also a widely loved staple.

Signature Dishes and Desserts

Grilled favorites such as shish tawouk and kebabs feature marinated pieces of chicken, lamb, beef, or vegetables skewered and cooked over hot coals or open flames. Another well-known Jordanian dish is maqluba, a layered casserole of rice, vegetables, and meat that is traditionally flipped upside down onto a serving plate before being presented.

For fast, flavorful meals, many Jordanians turn to shawarma—thin slices of chicken or lamb wrapped in flatbread—or falafel, a sandwich filled with seasoned, fried chickpea balls. It is also quite common for families to begin their day with falafel and hummus. On weekend mornings in particular, locals of all ages can often be seen at neighborhood vendors carrying plates of hummus and tahini wrapped in plastic, along with bags filled with freshly made falafel.

Mansaf: The National Dish

A discussion of Jordanian cuisine would be incomplete without mentioning mansaf, the country’s national dish. Rooted in Bedouin tradition, mansaf is prepared using Arabic rice, a rich sauce made from dried fermented yogurt (jamid), and lamb or chicken seasoned with fragrant herbs. Large serving trays are lined with flatbread soaked in the yogurt sauce and layered with rice, then topped with generous portions of meat, pine nuts and almonds.

Preparing mansaf requires several hours, making it a dish reserved for important occasions such as weddings and engagements. It stands as a powerful symbol of hospitality and generosity in Jordanian culture, often reflected in the quantity of meat served.

Traditionally, mansaf is shared from a single large platter by a group of people standing around it. Guests eat with their right hand, forming small portions of rice, while keeping their left hand behind their back in accordance with custom.

Jordanian desserts mainly consist of sweet pastries and cookies, typically enjoyed with strong, heavily sweetened coffee flavored with cardamom or with tea served in small cups. Popular sweets include baklava, made from layers of phyllo and nuts soaked in syrup or honey, basbousa, a moist semolina cake, kunafa, filled with cheese, and qatayif—small stuffed pancakes traditionally served during iftar in Ramadan.

10 Must-Try Jordanian foods in Amman

🍲 1. Mansaf
https://www.jordanpass.jo/blog/mansaf
Jordan’s national dish: lamb cooked in a tangy yogurt sauce served over rice. Widely available in traditional restaurants and Bedouin camps.

🍛 2. Maqlouba
https://travelwithclem.com/traditional-jordanian-food-guide-dishes-culture/
A “flipped” layered rice, meat, and vegetable dish, served upside-down for a stunning presentation.

🧆 3. Falafel & Hummus
https://www.jordanpetraprivatetour.com/jordan-news/beyond-hummus-10-foods-you-must-try-in-jordan
Crispy chickpea or fava bean balls served with creamy hummus — a staple street food across Jordan.

🌯 4. Shawarma
https://jordanexperience.com/10-must-try-traditional-jordanian-foods-you-cant-miss-in-2025/
Thinly sliced meat cooked on a rotating spit, served in bread with vegetables and sauces.

🔥 5. Zarb (Bedouin Barbecue)
https://www.suncitycamp.com/dining
Slow-cooked meat and vegetables underground — a traditional Bedouin culinary experience in Wadi Rum.

🍮 6. Kunafa (Knafeh)
https://habibah.com.jo/
A sweet, cheese-filled pastry soaked in syrup — perfect for dessert.

🍗 7. Musakhan
https://jordanexperience.com/10-must-try-traditional-jordanian-foods-you-cant-miss-in-2025/
Roasted chicken with sumac and caramelized onions served on taboon bread, full of flavor.

🍃 8. Warak Enab (Stuffed Grape Leaves)
https://www.zamantours.com/blog/a-culinary-journey-through-jordan-must-try-dishes-and-local-delicacies/
Grape leaves stuffed with rice, meat, and spices — a classic mezze dish.

🥙 9. Fattet Hummus
https://jordanmw.com/5-must-eat-jordanian-food/
Layers of crispy pita, hummus, chickpeas, yogurt sauce, and pine nuts — a hearty, comforting dish.

☕ 10. Arabic Coffee & Bedouin Tea
https://www.wadirum.org/desert-experiences/the-beduin-way
Traditional beverages: cardamom-spiced coffee for hospitality and sweet Bedouin tea for a warm welcome.