اكل : Akel : Food

Today marks exactly thirty-five days 
since my arrival in Jordan!

Noted: Working from Arabic to English is extremely difficult because I dont know the Arabic alphabet and for me - I have to first find someone to transliterate a word from Arabic and then translate from the transliterated Arabic. Confusing right? This word was pretty new to me - "transliteration" but it makes sense and I like it - it makes reading Arabic easier, even though its not really Arabic anymore.

For example, the title of the post: اكل : Akel : Food

This goes from Arabic to transliterated Arabic to English.

My short lived hopes and dreams of taking Arabic classes while in Jordan were squashed with the reality of TIME. I have no time here. I came here to "recover" but like my Dad, I can't sit still.

The last couple of weeks I've been really trying to "dive" into Jordan. I only have a short time here and want to soak up as much food, culture, music, sightseeing, and tradition as I can.

I've always said the fastest way to learn about a new place/

group of people is through their food (and music). This is my 

culinary experience thus far:

Mezzes are appetizers and here in Jordan. They are a must before dinner or even as a snack during the day. They include foods such as hummus, baba ghanoush, kibbe maqliya, tabouleh, falafel, and za'tar. This list is not exhausted but are some of the most popular in the Levant (a region that generally includs Cyprus, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, and Turkey) and usually eaten with pita bread (a type of flat bread with a pocket)!

 

-Hummus, as many of you likely know, is a cooked/mashed chick pea base dip or spread made with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic.
-Baba ghanoush is cooked eggplant mixed with onions, tomatoes, olive oil and various seasonings.

-Tabouleh, in addition to falafel and hummus, is another dish I had known before arriving here in Jordan. Its comprised of finely chopped tomatoes, parsley, mint, bulgur and onion. Then, seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. Sometimes people will substitute couscous for the bulgur and some people add garlic. It's so fresh, light and healthy!
-Falafels are everywhere and ridiculously cheap! The deep-fried balls made from ground chickpeas and/or fava beans can be found on nearly every corner for less than 50 cents.
-Za'tar, the name of my boss's dog, is a powerful blend of herbs, sesame and salt that is usually put on bread. It sort of reminds me of the italian type herbs/spices they give you before the main course at fancy restaurants.
-Kibbeh maklieh, sometimes more commonly known as fried kefta, are fried balls of beef and crushed wheat that are stuffed with spiced ground beef and pine nuts.

Kibbeh Makleih!

Another "appetizer" or smaller meal is Al-Rashoof Soup which consists of coarse wheat flour, yogurt and lentils. I was told this is often times served before/with Mansaf.

Found this soup at Souq el Sodfeh (سوق الصدفة) Farmers Market in Jabal al-Weibdeh

Al-Kabseh (also written Kabsa), which Jordanians tell me is a Saudi dish, is red rice with chicken, vegitables, and lots of spices (cardamom, saffron, cinnamon, black lime, bay leaves and nutmeg). Apparently, Mandi is a type of Kabseh so I guess I have tried this type of dish after all. Mandi has probably been my favorite food so far - not including the mezzes! The word "mandi" comes from the Arabic word nada, meaning "dew" which reflects the moist 'dewy' texture of the meat (chicken or lamb) which is cooked special in a tandoor (a cylindrical clay or metal oven). In addition to the meat, there is a redish rice and, yup, a bunch of spices with a delicious red chili sauce to pour on top.

Another common food, both in Jordan, the Levant, and the US, is shish-kebab! Or taouk-kebab if it's chicken and kofta-kebab if it's lamb. Often times you will find that you can order a platter that has all three of these (beef, chicken and lamb) as well as kefta. Kefta. Is. Amazing. It's ground beef or lamb mixed with mixed with cumin, paprika, minced onion, coriander, mint leaves, and parsley. Sometimes people will add cinnamon, cayenne pepper - but it's optional.

Photo credit: Frédérique Voisin-Demery/Flickr

When I think of Maqloobeh I think of pineapple upside down cake but for dinner, and not sweet. You throw tons of chicken, rice, veggies, baharat spice and a few other goodies in a pot being careful as to not stir it while it cooks. After everything is done - you flip the pot over so its sort of like a layered casserole. Sadly when I tried this dish it was at a buffet and wasn't prepared as beautifully as it should of/could of been.  

Manakish, quick, delicious, found on the street everywhere, and in my opinion, quite similar to pizza. Ok, not really but they are shaped the same and sort of look the same. Its pretty much baked flat dough with toppings but no sauce. Toppings include za'atar, cheese (usually one called kashkaval), minced lamb, chili, spinach, fried eggplant and more.
 As they say, save the best for last. Mansaf is by far the most beloved traditional dish in all of Jordan. you haven't tasted Jordanian cuisine until you've tasted mansaf.  lamb cooked in a sauce of fermented dried yogurt and served with rice    served on a large platter with a layer of flatbread (markook or shrak) topped with rice and then meat, garnished with almonds and pine nuts, and then sauce poured over all

The next dishes that are on my "to eat" list (yes, I have one of those) are: Mlokhiye, Konafa, M'askhen, and Bamyeh!

But of course, no meal is complete without argeeleh (shisha) and limon wa nana (mint, sugar, and lemonade blended).

My first limon wa nana :)

Do you have a favorite Jordanian or Levantine food?

Did I miss any good ones?