I asked our guide to have a stop in a bakery somewhere just to see all the sweetness of the Jordanian culture. I love Arabic pastries, they are sweet but so incredibly delicious. My wish came true and we visited one of the most interesting bakeries I ever have been.
I know: as intolerant to dairy and cereals and a no-sugar eater it is nearly impossible for me to find something conventional to taste. So I only could have a look at the sweets.
Originally all sweets were made with honey but today in the modern world everything is done – if not homemade – with sugar.
Syrup dripping most of the pastries are made with flour and nuts. Sometimes they have also dry sugared fruit inside. I know these kind of sweets from North Africa but also from my living in Greece and Turkey and sometimes you find kinds of them in Sicily.
In this huge bakery there were a lot of possibilities to find sweet gifts to take home to friends. In beautiful wooden boxes, in simple metal boxes or just loose. The selection is incredible and I think for every taste there is something right. Dry biscuits, puff pastries, European cheesecake with fruits, nuts with syrup and much more. Chocolate is something I didn’t see so much.
Kunafah is the most ‘famous’ sweet in the country. It’s made of dough and cheese covered with syrup and some pistachios.
Baklava is the one everyone knows in the world. Pistachios and puff pastry – so delicious!
Sora, made with phyllo dough filled with pistachios, looks very inviting as well. Many people bought this sweet maybe because of being Friday, the European Sunday.
Colorful small cheesecakes with all kind of fruits were looking a little strange to the typical Arabian pastry. I think those were more for foreigners and maybe Jordanian people who want an international taste as dessert.
Knishnah was something we got to try. Made of vermicelli-looking dough all our group tried them except me and my friend. Some time later I saw all of them with a bag full of sweets 😀
My personal favorite is halva, halawa called here. It is just sesame paste and honey and has such a special texture I can’t describe. One of these days I will try the recipe and will let you know.
Do you like such sweet pastries? Or do you prefer the European style with lot of cream and gelatin?
Amman/Jordan:
For further information:
Jordan Tourism Board
A list of Bakeries in Amman
Guardando queste foto sono quasi tentata di assaggiarli tutti!!! Brava Heidi!!
Li dobbiamo fare alcune. Sono buonissimi!
Wow! These look so good. I especially like the little nests with the nuts inside. Looks delicious! I love reading about all of your travels, so interesting.
Thank you so much Linda!