Amman, Jordan: Exploring the City's Food Culture Part 1
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Amman is often overlooked as a culinary destination, but those who visit quickly discover a city defined by generous hospitality, deeply rooted food traditions, and a vibrant street culture. From humble breakfast dishes to elaborate celebratory meals, food in Jordan is not just sustenance, it is a shared cultural experience that brings people together.
In this episode, we explore Amman through its kitchens, markets, and local neighborhoods with insights from a local food tour operator, Lindsay Nieminen from AmmanFoodTours.com. The conversation highlights how stepping beyond hotel buffets opens up a more authentic and memorable understanding of Jordanian cuisine and culture. With its welcoming atmosphere and accessible food scene, Amman stands out as one of the Middle East’s most rewarding cities for culinary exploration.
Top Things to See & Do
Amman Food Tours – Guided culinary walks led by local female guides offering insight into Jordanian food, culture, and daily life.
Iraq Al-Amir Women’s Cooperative – A hands-on cooking experience showcasing traditional recipes while supporting local women.
Rainbow Street – A lively stretch of converted homes filled with restaurants, cafés, and shisha lounges, especially vibrant in the evening.
Where to Eat & Drink
Habiba – A famous alleyway dessert shop known for its iconic kunafa, often with lines of locals waiting.
Windmills Restaurant – A classic spot for mezze-style dining with an extensive selection of traditional appetizers followed by hearty mains.
Abu Jbara – A popular casual eatery blending street food and restaurant dining, known for dishes like fatteh.
Hashem Restaurant – A legendary, no-frills vegetarian institution serving falafel, hummus, and tea around the clock.
Can’t-Miss Experiences
• Trying mansaf, Jordan’s national dish, typically served during celebrations
• Watching maqluba flipped tableside and shared among a group
• Sampling ful for a traditional Jordanian breakfast
• Indulging in fresh kunafa from a local sweet shop
• Exploring late-night markets and tea culture across the city
Amman rewards travelers who are curious, open, and willing to engage with local culture through food. It is a city where meals are shared, conversations flow easily, and visitors are welcomed with genuine warmth. For those seeking an authentic and approachable Middle Eastern experience, Amman delivers with depth and character.
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Transcript
Jordan isn't usually the first place that people think of when they think of foodie destinations, but it really should be.
Speaker A:I was there just a few months back and it's quickly become one of my favorite places anywhere in the world to eat.
Speaker A:Not just because the food is great, it certainly is things like ful and mansa, the street food, the markets, but because the way it's shared, you don't just get a meal in Jordan.
Speaker A:You really get pulled into the local culture.
Speaker A:And in coming months, it's a place that is really going to need tourists coming, coming back.
Speaker A:It's a country that often gets painted with the same brush as some of its Middle Eastern neighbors.
Speaker A:But anyone who's been there has experienced a place that's safe, that's open, where people are incredibly welcoming.
Speaker A:And I'm sure they are going to be eager to welcome visitors back.
Speaker A:Today we're going to be heading into the kitchens, the markets, the back streets of Amman with Lindsay Niemanin.
Speaker A:She's the owner of Amman Food Tours.
Speaker B:I think what makes Amman Food Tours very unique is the empowering local women element of it.
Speaker B:By hiring local female guides, we're able to, you know, have them participating in the tourism element of Jordan in a meaningful and fairly compensated way.
Speaker B:Tour guides in Jordan are predominantly men.
Speaker A:Yep.
Speaker B:So it's, it's pretty unique when you get to spend the day with a female tour guide.
Speaker A:I had an opportunity to go experience a cooking class at a collective, a women's collective, the Iraq Ilamir Women's Collective, who really brought us in and showed us some of the best of kind of local cuisine there and really gave us some, some really unique insights into Jordanian culture.
Speaker A:I know that has been a big part of your inspiration to start the food tour company that you have.
Speaker A:Lindsay, do you want to talk a little bit about that and kind of what, what inspired you?
Speaker B:Sure.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:So Aman Food Tours.
Speaker B:And the idea goes back preco.
Speaker B:As a travel blogger and having the opportunity to travel all over the world, it became really apparent to me that food tourism is huge.
Speaker B:And my partner was a Jordanian tour guide.
Speaker B:So I told him, look, like this product doesn't exist in Amman.
Speaker B:We need to create it.
Speaker B:And then Covid happened.
Speaker B: od Tours actually launched in: Speaker B:And I was like, there you go.
Speaker B:Like the demand is there.
Speaker B:We created this product and for me part of designing the route was sharing my favorites as a foreigner.
Speaker B:And what I thought Everyone who comes to Jordan needs to try before they leave.
Speaker B:And part of that speaks to the nature of tours in Jordan where a lot of times you're eating in the hotel restaurants and buffets and you aren't necessarily going to choose an unfamiliar food.
Speaker B:And once you take a tour and try all these different types of foods and you know the names of the dishes and how to order them, it's going to give you a lot more confidence to order them in a restaurant.
Speaker A:My understanding you, you kind of have designed the tour and based it on some of your experiences.
Speaker A:You've traveled to Jordan a lot, but you're not the one delivering the tours.
Speaker A:Who is and do you want to talk a little bit about that?
Speaker B:Absolutely.
Speaker B:These star of the show, I have to say is Jumana.
Speaker B:She is a local from Amman, born and raised.
Speaker B:She takes guests on a culinary journey through the streets of Amman from a female perspective.
Speaker B:And that is something that is very unique in Amman.
Speaker B:The tourism industry is very male dominated and a lot of that has to do with the demands of being a tour guide.
Speaker B:So one of the great things about Amman food tours and I think one of the things that I'm most proud of is hiring female guides has them involved in tourism in a meaningful way.
Speaker B:And because we're a city tour, they can go home to their families at night.
Speaker B:They're not on the road for four, five, six days.
Speaker B:They're able to balance any family obligations and have meaningful employment in the tourism industry.
Speaker A:One thing, I mean, tell me your impressions.
Speaker A:One thing I was a bit surprised of traveling in Jordan is I think a lot of people who have never been to the Middle east before, there was a perception that women maybe, you know, have a different role in Middle Eastern society and aren't as prominent or aren't seen as much.
Speaker A:I did not find that was the case in Jordan.
Speaker A:Like Jordan, women are very much a critical and very active part of, of all aspects of society in Jordan.
Speaker A:I mean it is a less conservative Middle Eastern state than a lot of other Middle Middle Eastern states and women are very actively involved in kind of day to day life there.
Speaker B:So my personal opinion is yes and no.
Speaker B:There's still a lot of conservative cultural practices where after women get married they're quite often expected to leave their careers and their job becomes raising a family.
Speaker B:However, for most families in Jordan, they now require two person incomes to survive.
Speaker B:That's just kind of a nature of how expensive it is now for families there.
Speaker B:And so you do see women working out of the home, which is Newer, I'd say in the last 15 or 20 years.
Speaker B:But I will say when you look around outside of the tourism product, if you went into a grocery store, you're more likely to see more male cashiers.
Speaker B:You're a lot more likely to see men cleaning hotel rooms.
Speaker B:So as much as you do see women, there's definitely, I think, a lot more men on the street.
Speaker B:I will say Jordanians are very friendly and women as well, that they have no problem striking up a conversation with you when you're in Amman.
Speaker B:I mean, when you're in a, in a small, culturally, you know, conservative center, you will see less of that.
Speaker B:But they love to talk, they love to chat, they love genuinely sharing where they're from with foreigners.
Speaker A:In terms of, you know, for somebody who's never been to Jordan before, you said one of the, one of the things that inspired you to set this up was the huge variety of culinary experiences that you can have there.
Speaker A:Do you want to talk about, like, what are some of the must have dishes, things that somebody should absolutely try on a first trip to Jordan?
Speaker B:For sure.
Speaker B:Coming from Canada, Canada, I personally found Jordanian and Middle Eastern cuisine in general to be very palatable.
Speaker B:It is delicious.
Speaker B:Even my children were eager to try all the different dishes.
Speaker B:It's just, it's one of my favorite cuisines in the world.
Speaker B:So Jordan specifically, you're going to hear this from everyone, is that you have to try nonsaf.
Speaker B:And that's a traditional Bedouin dish.
Speaker B:It's lamb based with a fermented yogurt.
Speaker B:And that's going to be like the number one.
Speaker B:And I'll tell you, the first time you try it, you may not like it.
Speaker B:I would say that it's one of the most foreign flavors that I found.
Speaker B:But the second time I tried it, I absolutely loved it.
Speaker B:And now I eat it as often as I can.
Speaker B:It has a lot of cultural significance.
Speaker B:It's.
Speaker B:It's kind of like a North American's turkey dinner.
Speaker B:And so in Jordan, you will have mansef when you're celebrating something or on a holiday.
Speaker B:And it's a very social dish that is shared around the table.
Speaker B:So that's the obvious one.
Speaker B:Another one that is loosely translated into English is upside down.
Speaker B:It's called maqluba, and it is a single pot.
Speaker B:And sometimes these pots are massive and everything is all cooked down in the pot and then it's flipped over upside down on the table in front of you with great fanfare.
Speaker B:And you have these different layers of food that again, it's like, served in this social.
Speaker B:Food is very, very social in Jordan.
Speaker B:So so many of the dishes are for sharing.
Speaker A:And that's.
Speaker A:That's actually the dish that I cooked in the cooking class that I took.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:But, you know, if you saw maqluba on a menu and you saw the ingredients, you would have no idea what you were ordering.
Speaker B:And so that's what I hope with the food tour.
Speaker B:It just gives people a little bit more exposure to what some of these foods are.
Speaker B:There's a lot of, like, older traditional foods.
Speaker B:Arias is one that most people have never heard of that we do stop on our tour.
Speaker B:And it's.
Speaker B:It's a meat dish.
Speaker B:A lot of the dishes are pretty meat heavy in Jordan.
Speaker B:Uh, there's great vegetables.
Speaker B:Don't get me wrong.
Speaker B:Vegetarians don't need to stay away.
Speaker B:But a lot of the food is meat based.
Speaker B:And it's kind of like a ground meat with spices in between bread, a flatbread.
Speaker B:And it is.
Speaker B:It's one of those delicious ones that you really gotta try.
Speaker A:Two.
Speaker A:Two that really stood out for me.
Speaker A:And you may know the names of these.
Speaker A:I. I'm turning.
Speaker A:One was a really good breakfast dish that was, like lentil based.
Speaker A:I don't remember what it was called.
Speaker A:It came in kind of a very unique pot that they cook it up in in the mornings.
Speaker A:Then you put all different toppings on it.
Speaker B:Yeah, most.
Speaker B:Like, did it come in a big clay pot that was skinny at the top?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So that is.
Speaker B:That is fool.
Speaker B:And you will see that at every single restaurant or.
Speaker B:Sorry, not every single restaurant.
Speaker B:Every single, like, hotel buffet.
Speaker B:Because that is what Jordanians eat for breakfast.
Speaker B:Yeah, it's.
Speaker B:It's beans.
Speaker B:And then they put jalapenos and spices and olive oil and they mix it all together.
Speaker B:But when you're in a hotel, you know, as a Westerner, you're gonna see your Western breakfast and then you're gonna see your fool.
Speaker B:And unless you're adventurous, you're not gonna know what to put on top.
Speaker B:And you may miss out on such an amazing dish.
Speaker B:So ask any Jordanian in the breakfast buffet, how do I make this?
Speaker B:Because it is well worth trying.
Speaker A:And then do you know, there was another dish that I had at a few different places.
Speaker A:It was kind of like a sweet cheese dish.
Speaker A:Do you know what that is?
Speaker A:Like a crunchy texture on the outside and then a soft melted, like, sweet cheese on the inside.
Speaker A:Have you ever come across that?
Speaker B:Kunafa?
Speaker A:Yes, I think that's it.
Speaker B:Yes, it is.
Speaker B:The every restaurant argues or I guess every Jordanian has their favorite kunafa stop.
Speaker B:And we stop at Habiba, which is the most well known kunafa stop in Jordan.
Speaker B:It is literally between two buildings down an alley and it will be lined out to the street with locals just waiting.
Speaker B:There's a, there's two different types I believe they have consider it smooth or crunchy where you can get two different toppings.
Speaker B:But basically you just get this amazing melted sweet cheese to die for.
Speaker B:You need to try that.
Speaker A:That was definitely my favorite.
Speaker A:I ate way too much of that.
Speaker B:While I was there.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:So you were telling me one of your missions is to get people outside of the hotel buffet when they are there and get them out on the streets and trying some different things.
Speaker A:Obviously your tours are a great way to do that.
Speaker A:But any if they're short on time, districts, part of town that you would recommend from a food perspective, people should, should focus their, their culinary explorations in,.
Speaker B:You know, definitely you can walk down Rainbow street probably in 15 or 20 minutes.
Speaker B:And Rainbow street is all old converted houses that now have restaurants and coffee shops and shisha bars.
Speaker B:And it's, it's kind of a vibrant, especially at night, it's a very vibrant place.
Speaker B:So you could pop into any one of those restaurants and you know, take a look at the menu and try a couple of my personal favorites.
Speaker B:If you want a really good meal, you want to go to the Windmills restaurant and it does have an Arabic name.
Speaker B:But if you walk into any hotel and ask about the Windmills restaurant, they'll know what you're talking about.
Speaker B:It's a, like a mezze style meal where you get the most extensive appetizers.
Speaker B:Do not eat them all because the main dish is still coming.
Speaker B:It's kind of a set plate kind of place.
Speaker B:And you'll see it full of Jordanians.
Speaker B:Nowhere in Jordan is there like a tourist place.
Speaker B:There just isn't enough tourism.
Speaker B:All of the places that tourists go to are there because the locals go there.
Speaker B:Another favorite that I like is Abu Jabara.
Speaker B:And it's, it's just a kind of like a mixture between street food and restaurant.
Speaker B:And I love to get their fatty, which is a chickpea and bread mix dish.
Speaker B:And if you go to the one on the second circle, you can actually ask shawarma place next door to put meat on top of it.
Speaker B:And that's my first stop every time I'm in Amman is there.
Speaker A:I wish, I wish I'd talked to you before my trip To Amman, not after.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker A:Definitely.
Speaker A:Some, some good suggestions and great places to check out.
Speaker A:Any, any final tip, Any one like can't miss, you would say from a food perspective when somebody's in Amman, I.
Speaker B:Think I have to say the obvious which is in every guidebook is Hashem restaurant.
Speaker B:Because it's, it's just a like quintessential packed full of locals, cheap place to eat.
Speaker B:It's vegetarian, it is open 24 7.
Speaker B:You know, it's famous for feeding the king.
Speaker B:It's just, it's good food and everybody goes there and you know, get some tea with mint.
Speaker B:Make sure you put lots of sugar in it.
Speaker B:You're not a Jordanian if it's not full of sugar and you know, some falafel and you know it's going to be seven or eight dollars.
Speaker B:And I would just suggest seeing what all the locals are eating and then when your server comes over, just say you want all of that stuff.
Speaker B:But it's, it's the most well known but definitely for a reason, it's worth going there.
Speaker A:Now.
Speaker A:One question, you mentioned it being open 24 hours.
Speaker A:One thing that I noticed when I was there, and I don't know if it's because I was there during Ramadan celebrations.
Speaker A:So there was a lot of kind of organized celebrations happening out on the street and in the markets and places, but things were open really late.
Speaker A:Like even the, like the street markets were open till at least till midnight, if not till till later.
Speaker A:Is that pretty typical or was that just because it was Ramadan?
Speaker B:You know, honestly, it is very typical.
Speaker B:You can go to a sweet shop at 11 o' clock at night in the dark, in winter and it is full of people.
Speaker A:Full of people, yeah.
Speaker B:Jordanians love socializing.
Speaker B:They may not drink, but they will smoke and drink tea in all hours of the night.
Speaker B:It's very normal culturally to phone a friend at 10pm and say, do you want to go out for tea?
Speaker B:And so you'll see families even with kids.
Speaker B:I mean, I went without my kids on one trip and it was like 12 o' clock at night and there's families out with kids.
Speaker B:I'm like, don't your kids need to go to bed?
Speaker B:You know our Western view on it.
Speaker B:But yeah, they, they really just enjoy socializing very late into the night, all year round.
Speaker A:Amazing.
Speaker A:Some great suggestions.
Speaker A:Thanks Lindsay.
Speaker B:You are very welcome.
