Falafel
Falafel, a combination of ground chickpeas, mixed with a variety of spices, then deep fried into mini patty like shapes, is one of the most common street food snacks or light meals in Jordan. They can be eaten on their own like veggie nuggets, eaten with bread, or stuffed into sandwiches. The falafel in Jordan is light and fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside, with an aroma of cumin, garlic, and parsley.
Maqluba
Translating to the “turned over” dish, this particular food is more interesting to watch being cooked than eaten. The ingredients are nothing out of the ordinary including rice, potatoes, chicken, and aubergine or cauliflower, all stirred in a big pot. When the cooking is done comes the magical moment, children would gather to watch the Jordanian mother flip the huge pot over a flat plate and then remove it, revealing what looks like a neat cake of rice and chicken. Maqluba is delicious with olive-soaked salad or cold fresh yogurt on the side.
Hummus
Hummus is possibly the most well-known Levantine and Middle Eastern food around the world. The hummus in Jordan was fantastic, and despite containing just about the same ingredient make-up at every restaurant you order it from, it’s amazing how each version tasted just slightly different – the amount of lemon juice, and ratio of garbanzo beans to tahini, the texture, and also, very importantly, the olive oil.
Makmoura
This is an old Jordanian-oriented dish, eaten mostly by people in North Jordan. Some Jordanians might not even recognize it, nonetheless, it is a traditional Jordanian dish deeply rooted to the country life. Makmoura, meaning buried, is exactly what it sounds like. Boiled chicken and onions are buried under a thick blanket of dough and cooked in the oven until well-done. It is later served in triangle pieces, exactly like cake.
Arabic salad
Similar in dressing taste to tabbouleh, but with a different vegetable make-up, Jordanian, or Arabic salad, usually includes finely diced up cucumber, tomatoes, and bell peppers, dressed in lemon juice and lots of olive oil. Fattoush is another common salad you can eat in Jordan.
Barazek
Barazek is a Syrian thin crispy butter cookie covered in toasted sesame, honey, and pistachio. This cookie is very popular in the Levantine region and often eaten with coffee or tea. It is a great souvenir you can buy for your family or friends.
Tabbouleh
Another Levantine dish, often a starter or salad, tabbouleh is a mixture of finely minced parsley, tomatoes, garlic, and bulgar wheat, all dressed in lemon juice, salt, and olive oil.