Like so many of our meals in Jordan, the food keeps coming. Creamy hummus in pools of olive oil, fresh tabbouleh salad topped with parsley, fluffy bread still puffed up from the oven, tender cuts of lamb marinated in spices, and tomato stewed with herbs and mince topped with pine nuts. All finished with semolina cake soaked in syrup, and accompanied by cold limonana – a slushy minty concoction often considered Jordan’s national drink.
We’re at the enchanting Haret Jdoudna restaurant in the town of Madaba, a short drive from Jordan’s capital Amman. Situated in a 19th-century house, the restaurant is set up like a traditional Jordanian village with the dining area at the centre, surrounded by a handicrafts market with mosaic wall hangings and handmade wooden furniture, as well an area for entertainment including a fireplace, where guests can listen to music with a cup of steaming mint tea.
Madaba is known for its mosaics that date back hundreds of years (including the oldest map of the Holy Land in the Church of St George), as well as being home to Mount Nebo, where Moses looked out across the holy land before his death. But it also boasts some of the best food in Jordan.
While the spread at Haret Jdoudna is impressive, at Shaheen Restaurant the food is somewhat simpler. The falafel is cooked in front of your eyes, with the chefs dropping the balls into the oil and bringing it out hot, with a crispy outside and served in soft pita with herbs and fresh salad.
This is the joy of the food in Jordan: Whether you’re eating at a local restaurant, grabbing some street food, enjoying some simple dishes at home, or eating out in a five-star hotel, you can be sure that you’ll have an excellent dining experience.
Not many people know exactly what Jordan cuisine entails – and indeed it can be hard to define. There are certainly many similarities to the cuisine of other Middle Eastern countries, you’ll find plenty of herbs and spices as well as influences from Mediterranean and North African cuisines. Meals can be quite meat-heavy (lamb and goat are a favourite), but it’s also an excellent cuisine for vegetarians with seemingly endless fresh salads, dips and vegetable dishes.
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