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Jordan was another step into both familiar and new territory. While I’d had some food from this region I’ve never actually made it myself before and my experience of West Asian cuisine was very much limited to shawarma, falafel, hummus, pita and Turkish (or Turkish-German?) kebab.
All delicious in their own right, but very much a limited view into very diverse and flavorful cuisines. To me it feels like saying “Yeah I know Italian food, I’ve had pizza and spaghetti.” And while West Asian food is enjoying more international recognition now, it doesn’t feel like dishes outside of the sandwich/dip/mezze sphere are getting much of a spotlight.
So I decided to take my first dip into Jordanian food by making both the classics and stuff I hadn’t had before.
Figuring it out
Honestly, I’ve been really lucky. Once again I was able to find websites that specifically deal with their country’s traditional foods and do a really good job in explaining them. Next to just making dishes I do also try to figure out the way in which they would be served and with what. This time my inspiration and recipes came mostly from Welcome2Jordan, a website dedicated to Jordanian food and culture.
This week’s menu (2025/04/06)
Mezze:
Hummus – a classic (Recipe)
I think we’re all familiar with hummus. Creamy, flavorful, satisfying. This recipe – made with dried chickpeas – came out really well.
Falafel – classic #2 (Recipe)
Another dish I would be remiss in not covering on my first dip into West Asian food.
Tabbouleh – so refreshing (Recipe)
Tabbouleh was something I’d tried before only once and honestly had no idea how to make but it’s so refreshing and delicious. Honestly, I really want to recommend making it and having it as a side on a hot summer day – you will not regret it. Pomegranate seeds IMO not optional.
Main:
Chicken Ouzi – so hearty and warm (Recipe)
For my main dish, I made chicken ouzi – crispy flavorful chicken on fluffy rice, all married together with warm spices and comforting flavors. I was a big fan of this.
Drink:
Limonana – refreshing mint lemonade (Recipe)
This seems to be a popular drink in the whole region and with good reason. It’s really tasty and nice. (I made it without alcohol, which is optional in the recipe above.)
Other:
I also purchased some pita bread and the dessert, kanafeh, ready made. Honestly, I had my hands full with the other dishes.
The final table
Jordan was really nice to make. We do have a sizable West Asian population in Vienna so I was able to find most ingredients at various markets and one vendor actually chatted with me about how they make ouzi differently in their family and urged me to try it. This time, I decided to stay true to Welcome2Jordan’s recipe but I might do so next.
The only thing I couldn’t really get over was the very mozzarella-y taste of the sweet cheese kanafeh. It wasn’t bad but it was just a flavor profile I associate very differently. Maybe I’ll like it better next time I try.
All in all Jordan gets a 4.5/5 ⭐️ for me personally, with a slight deduction due to the kanafeh not really being my thing.
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