Jordanian food is hearty, shared and built around lamb, rice, yogurt, flatbread and olive oil. Mansaf is the national dish, and zarb, the Bedouin barbecue cooked under the sand, is the meal most travelers remember from Wadi Rum. If you only plan three meals, make them a mansaf lunch, a hummus and falafel breakfast in Amman, and a zarb dinner at a desert camp.
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We have run trips into Jordan from Eilat since 2008, and our guides eat these meals with guests every week. This guide covers what to order, how to eat it politely, what to expect if you have a special diet, and which of our Jordan tours already include meals.
Jordanian food at a glance
| Key fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Where to eat it | All over Jordan. Amman for breakfast spots and sweets, Petra and Karak for mansaf, Wadi Rum for zarb, Aqaba for fish. |
| How long to spend | Plan at least one mansaf meal, one Bedouin camp dinner and one street food breakfast. A 4 day trip covers all three. |
| Best time | Year-round. During Ramadan many restaurants close in daytime, so check the dates for your trip. |
| How to get there | Fly into Queen Alia Airport in Amman, or cross the land border from Israel on a guided tour. |
| What it costs | Restaurant prices vary by place and season. See tour prices below for trips that include meals. |
| Booking tip | On our Israel to Jordan tours, border and visa fees are 140 USD per person in total. Pre-pay them on the booking form to skip cash at the border. |
What makes Jordanian food different
Jordanian food grew out of two kitchens. One is the Bedouin kitchen of the desert, based on lamb, rice, dried yogurt and bread baked over fire. The other is the village and city kitchen shared with the wider Levant, full of olive oil, chickpeas, herbs and vegetables.
Meals are social. Food usually arrives on large platters in the middle of the table, and the host keeps adding more to your side. Saying you are full once rarely ends the meal, so pace yourself.
Flavors are warm rather than fiery. You will taste cumin, cardamom, allspice, sumac and the herb mix called za'atar much more often than hot chili. If you like heat, ask for hot sauce on the side.
12 Jordanian dishes you should try
These are the Jordanian dishes our guests ask about most, and the ones we order for them on the road.
1. Mansaf
Lamb cooked in a sauce made from jameed, a dried and fermented yogurt, served over rice on thin shrak bread. It is topped with toasted almonds or pine nuts and eaten at weddings, holidays and big family lunches. More on it below.
2. Zarb
Meat and vegetables cooked in a sealed pit under hot coals and sand. This is the classic dinner at Wadi Rum camps, and the reveal is part of the fun.
3. Maqluba
The name means upside down. Rice, chicken and fried vegetables such as eggplant or cauliflower are cooked in one pot, then flipped onto a tray at the table.
4. Hummus and ful
Breakfast in Jordan is often hummus, ful (stewed fava beans with lemon, garlic and olive oil), fresh bread, tomatoes, onions and mint tea. It is cheap, filling and very local.
5. Falafel
Fried chickpea balls, sold hot in bread with tahini and salad. Amman has long-running falafel shops downtown where the lines move fast.
6. Mezze
Small shared plates that start most restaurant meals. Look for mutabal (smoky eggplant dip), tabbouleh (parsley salad), fattoush (salad with crispy bread) and labneh (thick strained yogurt).
7. Musakhan
Roast chicken on taboon bread soaked in olive oil, with lots of sweet onion and sumac. It is shared with Palestinian cooking and very popular in Jordan.
8. Galayet bandora
A simple pan of tomatoes cooked with olive oil, garlic and sometimes hot pepper, eaten with bread. Bedouin guides often cook it over a fire during a desert trip.
9. Sayadieh
Fish cooked with spiced rice and caramelized onions. It is the dish to order in Aqaba, the only Jordanian city on the Red Sea.
10. Shrak and taboon bread
Shrak is paper-thin bread baked on a domed metal griddle. Taboon bread is thicker and baked in a clay oven. Bread is your spoon for almost everything.
11. Kunafa
Warm cheese pastry with crisp or fine semolina on top, soaked in sugar syrup. Amman's sweet shops sell it by the plate, often eaten standing at the counter.
12. Arabic coffee and Bedouin tea
Arabic coffee is light, bitter and flavored with cardamom, served in small cups. Bedouin tea is sweet black tea, often brewed with sage or mint, and you will be offered it everywhere in the south.
Mansaf: how Jordan's national dish is made and eaten
Mansaf is the dish Jordanians are proudest of. It is a symbol of hospitality, and serving it to a guest is an honor. The history and regional versions of mansaf are well documented, but the basics are simple.
The key ingredient is jameed. Goat or sheep milk yogurt is salted, dried into hard balls and later dissolved into a sauce. The lamb simmers in that sauce until tender. The result is tangy and rich, quite different from any lamb dish you have had at home.
The city of Karak, in the south, is famous for its mansaf and its jameed. If your tour passes Karak Castle, ask your guide about lunch nearby.
How to eat mansaf the traditional way
- Stand or sit around the shared tray.
- Use only your right hand. Keep your left hand behind your back or at your side.
- Pinch some rice and meat, pour a little sauce over it, and press it gently into a ball.
- Push the ball into your mouth with your thumb, without licking your fingers.
- Eat from the section of the tray in front of you.
Do not worry if you are clumsy. Restaurants always give guests spoons and plates, and your hosts will be pleased you tried. Mansaf is heavy, so we suggest it for lunch rather than dinner.
Zarb in Wadi Rum: the Bedouin underground barbecue
Zarb is the meal that turns a desert night into a story. It is also the most photographed Jordanian food on any trip to the south.
Here is how it works. Chicken or lamb, seasoned with spices, is placed on a tiered metal rack with potatoes, onions, carrots and zucchini. The rack goes into a pit lined with hot coals. The cook seals the pit with a lid, then covers it with blankets and sand, and leaves it for a few hours.
When the food is ready, the camp gathers to watch the sand being brushed away and the rack lifted out. The meat is smoky and falls off the bone. It is usually served buffet style with rice, salads, hummus and bread.
Zarb is normally cooked for dinner at camps that host overnight guests. If tasting it matters to you, choose a trip with a camp night, not a day visit. Our complete Wadi Rum guide explains the jeep routes, camps and what to pack for a desert night, and the UNESCO World Heritage listing covers why the protected area matters.
Where to eat Jordanian food on a typical tour route
Most visitors follow the same line through the country, from Amman in the north down to Aqaba on the Red Sea. Each stop has its own specialty.
- Amman: Go downtown for a breakfast of hummus, ful and falafel, then finish with kunafa. Evening restaurants serve full mezze spreads.
- Jerash and Madaba: Family restaurants near the sites serve lunch buffets with mezze, grilled meats and maqluba. Madaba also has small bakeries with za'atar bread.
- Karak: The place to ask for mansaf.
- Petra: Wadi Musa, the town at the Petra entrance, has buffet lunches and local restaurants. Inside the site, food choices are limited, so carry snacks and water. Our guide to visiting Petra from Eilat explains how lunch fits into a Petra day.
- Wadi Rum: Zarb dinner, Bedouin tea by the fire and galayet bandora on jeep trips.
- Aqaba: Grilled fish and sayadieh near the seafront.
- Dead Sea: Mostly hotel restaurants with international and Arabic buffets. If you want to compare both shores, read our Dead Sea mud guide.
Petra entrance is 130 USD per person for one day, but fees can change. Check the official Visit Jordan tourism board site before you travel.
Jordanian food etiquette, diets and practical tips
A few habits will make every meal easier, and your hosts will notice them.
Etiquette
- Accept coffee or tea when it is offered. Saying no to the first cup can seem cold.
- With Arabic coffee, the server refills your small cup until you gently shake it from side to side. That means you are done.
- Eat and pass food with your right hand.
- Leave a little food on your plate if you are full. An empty plate tells your host to bring more.
- Dress modestly in local restaurants outside hotels. Covered shoulders and knees are a safe choice.
Diets and allergies
Almost all meat in Jordan is halal, and pork is rare outside some hotels. Alcohol is served in many hotels and tourist restaurants, but not everywhere.
Vegetarians eat well. Mezze, falafel, ful, galayet bandora and vegetable maqluba are all meat-free, though some rice is cooked in meat stock, so ask. Vegans should watch for butter, yogurt and labneh.
If you have a nut allergy, say so clearly, because mansaf and many sweets are topped with nuts. Gluten-free travelers should rely on rice dishes, grills and salads. Tell us about any diet when you book, and we pass it on to hotels and camps.
Ramadan and practical tips
Ramadan dates move each year. During the fasting month, many local restaurants close during the day, while hotels and tourist areas keep serving. The evening meal after sunset is lively and worth joining.
- Drink bottled water and carry it on site days.
- Street food is generally fine at busy places where food is cooked fresh.
- Bring some small Jordanian dinars for snacks and tips.
Jordan tours that include meals
Several of our trips build Jordanian food into the day, with lunch at Petra, Bedouin camp nights or hotel dinners. Check each tour page for the exact meals, since they differ by itinerary.
| Tour | Best for | Duration | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 day Jordan tour from Amman with Aqaba, Petra and a Wadi Rum camp night | First-timers who want Petra with lunch plus a desert camp night | 4 days | from $744 per adult |
| 4 day Jordan tour from Tel Aviv with Jerash, Madaba, Petra and Wadi Rum | Travelers already in Israel who want to cross by land | 4 days | from $852 per adult |
| Nabatean Wonders 8 day tour with three Petra nights and a Wadi Rum camp | Slow travelers who want time to eat in Wadi Musa and sleep in the desert | 8 days | from $1,394 per adult |
| 8 day Bedouin Jordan tour with Aqaba and the Dead Sea | Travelers who want Aqaba seafood and the full south | 8 days | from $1,407 per adult |
| 8 day Jordan tour with desert castles, breakfast and dinner included | Guests who want most meals sorted every day | 8 days | from $1,425 per adult |
| 5 day Israel, Jordan and Egypt tour with Petra lunch | Short trips that combine three countries | 5 days | from $1,512 per adult |
If you want zarb, pick a tour with a Wadi Rum camp night. The 4 day tour from Amman and the Nabatean Wonders tour both include one. If you want the easiest food planning, the desert castles tour includes breakfast and dinner on its hotel nights.
Our guides speak English. In Petra, local Spanish and French-speaking guides are free, while German, Italian and Russian-speaking guides cost a small flat fee per booking. Tours that include hotels or flights are non-refundable, so confirm your dates first. Crossing from Israel? Read our Israel Jordan border crossing guide before you go.
Tours that include Jordanian Food
Live prices and dates, hotel pickup on most tours, and a local team in Eilat that answers on WhatsApp.
Frequently asked questions about Jordanian food
What is the national dish of Jordan?
Mansaf is the national dish. It is lamb cooked in a jameed yogurt sauce, served over rice and thin bread with toasted nuts. It is the dish served at weddings and to honored guests.
Is Jordanian food spicy?
Not usually. Jordanian food uses warm spices like cumin, allspice and cardamom rather than strong chili. Hot sauce is often available on the side if you want it.
Where can I try zarb in Jordan?
Zarb is a specialty of Bedouin camps in Wadi Rum, usually served at dinner for overnight guests. A day visit rarely includes it, so book a tour with a camp night if it is on your list.
How much does a meal in Jordan cost?
Prices vary a lot between a downtown falafel shop, a Wadi Musa buffet and a hotel restaurant. Street food is the cheapest option. If you want meals covered in advance, choose a tour that includes lunch or dinner and check the tour page for details.
Is Jordanian food good for vegetarians?
Yes. Hummus, ful, falafel, mutabal, tabbouleh, fattoush and galayet bandora are all vegetarian. Ask whether rice dishes are cooked in meat stock, and tell us about your diet when you book.
Can you try Jordanian food on a day trip from Eilat?
Yes. A Petra day trip from Eilat usually includes lunch in or near Wadi Musa, often a buffet with mezze, rice and grilled meat. For mansaf or zarb, a multi-day trip gives you more chances.
Is there a dress code for eating out in Jordan?
There is no formal dress code in tourist restaurants and hotels. In local restaurants and family homes, covered shoulders and knees are respectful. Light, loose clothing works well in the heat.
Is it worth doing a Wadi Rum camp night just for the food?
For most of our guests, yes. The zarb reveal, Bedouin tea by the fire and a sky full of stars make it one of the highlights of a Jordan trip. The food is simple, but the setting is hard to beat.
Keep planning
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Plan your trip
The best way to understand Jordanian food is to share a tray of mansaf at lunch and wait by the fire while zarb cooks under the sand. Our 4 day Jordan tour with Petra lunch and a Wadi Rum camp night gives you both in one short trip.
Want help picking dates or have a food allergy to flag? Message our Eilat team on WhatsApp at 08-6338361 (international +972 8-633-8361) or email [email protected]. You can also browse every itinerary on our Petra and Jordan tours page or explore more ideas in our travel guide.
Cover photo: Ji-Elle, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons