Real Jordanian food – generous, comforting, and made to be shared
Jordanian cuisine is all about hospitality. Meals are slow, portions are generous, and food is meant to bring people together. These dishes are not tourist inventions — they are deeply rooted in Jordanian culture and everyday life. If you want to understand Jordan, you start at the table.
1. Mansaf
Mansaf is the national dish of Jordan and a symbol of hospitality. Tender lamb is cooked in jameed (a fermented dried yogurt sauce) and served over rice and flatbread. It’s traditionally eaten together from one large platter. Rich, powerful, and unforgettable.
2. Zarb
Zarb is Bedouin-style cooking at its best. Meat and vegetables are seasoned, wrapped, and cooked underground in the desert. Slow, smoky, and incredibly tender. You’ll often eat this in places like Wadi Rum, and it’s always a highlight.
3. Maqluba
Maqluba literally means “upside down.” Rice, vegetables, and meat are cooked in layers and then flipped onto a large plate before serving. The reveal is part of the experience. Comfort food with serious flavour.
4. Falafel (Jordanian Style)
Falafel in Jordan is next-level. Crispy on the outside, bright green inside, and packed with herbs. Often eaten fresh for breakfast in flatbread with hummus and pickles. Simple, cheap, and perfect.
5. Hummus & Mutabbal
In Jordan, hummus isn’t a side — it’s a main event. Creamy, smooth, and served warm with olive oil and fresh bread. Mutabbal (smoky eggplant dip) is always nearby. Eat it fresh, preferably for breakfast or lunch.
6. Musakhan
Roasted chicken served on flatbread, topped with caramelised onions, olive oil, and sumac. Fragrant, juicy, and deeply comforting. This dish perfectly shows how Jordanian food balances spice and simplicity.
7. Galayet Bandora
A humble but delicious tomato-based dish cooked with garlic, olive oil, and sometimes meat or peppers. Often eaten with bread and shared. This is everyday Jordanian home cooking at its best.
8. Shawarma (Jordanian Version)
Jordanian shawarma is packed with flavour and generosity. Juicy meat, garlic sauce, pickles, and bread — eaten standing on the street or late at night. Every city has its favourite spot, and locals take it seriously.
9. Arabic Mezze
Mezze is not one dish but a table full of small plates: labneh, salads, dips, olives, and breads. It’s how Jordanians eat together — slowly, talking, sharing, and enjoying the moment.
10. Kunafa
Sweet, warm, and impossible to resist. Crispy pastry filled with soft cheese, soaked in syrup, and topped with pistachios. Kunafa is the dessert you’ll remember long after you leave Jordan.
