The alternate title for this post is, “Why I Love Hummus.”

Before visiting this part of the world, I don’t think I ever had a true Middle Eastern meal. I’ve eaten some of their diet staples my whole life — olives have always been a favorite, and it’s not possible for me to walk out of Trader Joe’s without buying hummus. But before Jordan I’d never even tried falafel… I feel sorry for pre-falafel Erica just typing that.

I jump right into the food culture on my first breakfast in Amman. Jordan Tower Hotel serves up a feast, which is included in the price of the stay — those plates in the photo below are merely side dishes! In addition, guests may each order one of three eggs platters… all of which come with MORE sides. I’m going to have to walk all day to burn this off.

I don’t eat eggs, but they bring me these additional sides — sausage, baked beans, and tomatoes.

The fresh mint tea served with breakfast is delicious. If you’re looking for caffeine, there’s coffee shops on nearly every corner — but it’s all Turkish, which is a bold and heavy flavor. There’s a tablespoon of sludge at the bottom of every cup. I try it once and hold myself back from doing a spit-take.

FYI… there is a Starbucks at the Amman airport, but I land at night and skip the caffeine.

Hashem is by far the most popular restaurant in Amman, for both locals and tourists alike. Every time my friends and I ask someone for a restaurant recommendation — our taxi driver, the front desk at the hostel, other travelers — they usually ask, “Have you tried Hashem yet?”

It’s vegetarian and the main dish is falafel, served with hummus and pita. It’s so good that I am forever spoiled — inferior falafel just won’t cut it.

This whole spread below, split between three people, costs about $2 each.

Al Quds is another popular falafel spot, located on Rainbow Street — there are a ton more great restaurants there, but I didn’t get to eat at any of them (check out more info in this Amman post).

This is kanafeh, a popular dessert dish in the Middle East. It’s soft, hot cheese with a layer of caramelized sugar on top. We wait in line to get a fresh slice and my friends rave about it.

I may not be a cheese eater, but I am an EXPERT cookie eater.

We stumble upon this Amman bakery and my sweet tooth begs to go inside.

This plate of cookies costs $1.

Here’s a sampling of a few other meals… chicken kebab dishes and yes, more hummus. Our group orders it with most meals.

On our day trip to Jerash, we grab chicken shawarma for around $1.

And while visiting Kerak Castle en route to Petra, our favorite taxi driver Jamil says he knows a restaurant that doesn’t charge tourist prices. It’s very close by and we meet him there for lunch after we finish walking around the castle on our own.

I’ve never had a chicken dish like this — it falls apart in my mouth. Delicious.

I don’t recall the name of this restaurant, but it’s located at that pink asterisk below — only a few minutes’ walk from Kerak Castle.

Some of my favorite Jordanian meals take place in Wadi Rum.

Our guides whip up impressive lunches over a simple fire in the desert — fresh veggie stew with whole cloves of garlic and incredible baba ganoush.

And then there’s Bedouin tea — black tea leaves, a thyme-like spice plucked fresh from desert bush, and tons of sugar. I love it.

Our Bedouin chef has baked chicken and potatoes in an underground oven all day. We gather around for the big reveal:

There’s also a variety of sides made by the chef — lots of veggies, and I hoard the eggplant slices.

I’ll end with a plate of hummus at Al Arabi Restaurant in Petra — and that’s a chicken shawarma wrap in the background. Jamil suggests this place when he drops us off in Petra and I think I ate there four times in 2.5 days. It’s located near the cheap hotels in town and they charge only a few dollars for a full meal. You can’t get that elsewhere in Petra! Plus they wrap up lunch for me (like the chicken shawarma), which is cheaper than buying food inside Petra.

P.S. If you’re in New Haven or Manhattan, Mamoun’s is a Middle Eastern chain with excellent and very cheap food. Thanks to my cousin El & her husband Pete for the introduction!