Jordan

In the Middle Eastern country of Jordan, the food culture is not simply about the preparation of expansive feasts; Jordanian cuisine celebrates community and family.

With only 16 miles of coastline on the Gulf of Aqaba and no freshwater lakes, traditional fare is light on seafood but often includes grains, yogurt, vegetables, cheese and meat such as lamb. Although much of Jordan is dessert terrain, the fertile Jordan Valley produces watermelons, citrus fruit, tomatoes and cucumbers.

The appetizers, or mezze, of Jordan are a significant part of a meal and the layout may consist of hummous, babagounush, falafel, pita bread and koubba maqliya, a deep-fried delicacy of savory meat and pine nuts rolled into balls and encrusted with a bulgar wheat paste. Cooking styles range from grilling—shish kebabs, for example—to stuffing vegetables, such as eggplants and grape leaves, or meat and poultry.

Mansaf is a distinctive dish that often signifies a special occasion such as a wedding or graduation. The meal consists of a robust broth made from chicken or lamb and jameed, a dry sour milk, and Arabic rice. The quantity of meat in the dish, as well as simply offering it, is a symbol of generosity in Jordanian culture.

Drinking coffee, with its strong flavor and grounds at the bottom of the small cup, is also a ritual of Jordan. Araq, similar to Greek Ouzo, is a local liquor most likely served with water and ice.—Leska Tomash

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