"Six Food Discoveries One Month In" by Betül Aydın

1. Mint Lemonade — A super flavorful drink you can find at most cafes and restaurants. I am not a huge fan of lemonade but this really changed my mind. It's a great refresher to have while studying!

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Photo credit: Aydın 2020

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Photo credit: Aydın 2020

2. Ka’ek Bread — This is definitely a must have! It may be rather simple but it has an unbeatable taste. Last Thursday, a couple friends and I went to Salaheddin Bakery (مخبز صلاح الدين) where we were able to make our own sesame bread sandwiches. It’s an old bakery where there are no servers or anyone to take your orders; you just walk in, pick up a piece of freshly baked warm bread, and move on to the counter to add eggs, cheese, zaatar (dried thyme mix), salt and/or red chili sauce to it. There is no seating in the bakery, and the sandwich is best eaten on the spot anyway. This spot is not far from downtown, so you can try this traditional Jordanian street eatery while exploring more of the city!

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Photo credit: Aydın 2020

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Photo credit: Aydın 2020

3. Zarb — Cooked underground in the sand, this meal is one of a kind. Zarb is a Beduin underground barbecue that can consist of a mix of lamb, chicken, rice, onions, and carrots. Although it takes several hours to cook, it is totally worth the wait!

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Photo credit: Aydın 2020

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Photo credit: Aydın 2020

4. Falafel  — If you ever visit this area, I am sure you will have falafel pretty early on, but no matter how many times you have had it, you also have to visit Hashem. It is a restaurant located in downtown Amman and is one of the most well known of all the local food restaurants in the city. When you go in, you will have a table full of falafel, hummus, fuul (fava bean paste), and hot tea.

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Photo credit: Aydın 2020

5. Kanafeh — Another classic. I am a big fan of cheese so I especially love this dessert (not that you can really taste it when it's mixed with all the sweetness). In Jordan, حلويات نفيسة/Nafeeseh and حلويات حبيبة/Habibah are the two popular places that have kanafeh and there is much debate over which one is better. You’ll have to try this dish at both places for yourself to decide!

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Photo credit: Aydın 2020

6. Traditional Arab Ice Cream — And finally, the best for last! There is an ice cream shop near my house called Bakdash that has some of the best ice cream flavors I have ever tried. Last time we went, my roommate and I got Arab ice cream that I believe originates in Damascus. It is made from mastic and sahlep, which gives an elastic, stretchy texture to it, and when topped with pistachios and nutella, it truly tastes perfect. In Turkey, we have Maraş dondurması and this immediately reminded me of that. I haven’t had Maraş dondurması in a long time, so this felt like a great taste of home.

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Photo credit: Aydın 2020