The culture of Jordan is based on Arabic and Islamic elements with significant Western influence. The Jordanian Kingdom had always been the intersection of the three continents of the ancient world and always seemed to have a form of diversity at any given point due to its location. Notable aspects of the culture include the music of Jordan as well as an interest in sports, particularly football and basketball as well as other imported sports mainly from western Europe and the US.
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Main article: Jordanian cuisine
Jordanian cuisine is a traditional style of food preparation originating from Jordan that has developed from centuries of social and political change with roots as far back as 2000 B.C.[1]
There is a wide variety in the Jordanian style of cooking. The authentic Jordanian cuisine can range from baking, sautéing and grilling to stuffing of vegetables (grape leaves, eggplants, etc.), meat, and poultry. Also common in the Jordanian style of cooking is roasting, and/or preparing foods with special sauces.
As one of the biggest producer of olive in the world[2], olive oil is the main cooking oil in Jordan. Herbs, garlic, onion, tomato sauce and lemon are typical flavours found in the Jordanian cuisine. The recipes to the meals of the cuisines of Jordan can vary from being extremely hot and spicy to being mild.
The most common and popular of the appetizers is hummous, which is a puree of chick peas blended with Tahini, lemon, and garlic. Fool Moudames is another well-known appetizer. A workers meal, today it has made its way to the tables of the upper class. A successful mezze must of course have koubba maqliya, labaneh baba ghanoush, tabouleh, olive and pickles.
The most distinctive Jordanian dish is Mansaf, and it's the national dish of Jordan[3][4], thus Mansaf on the menu is the greatest symbol in Jordanian culture for generosity.
Although simple fresh fruits are often served towards the end of a Jordanian meal, there is also dessert, such as the Baklava's, Hareeseh, Knafeh, Halawa and Qatayef which is a dessert made specially for ramadan.
In the Jordanian cuisine, drinking Coffee and tea flavored with na'na or meramiyyeh is more or less like a ritual.
The most popular sports in Jordan are football (soccer) and basketball. The increase of interest in football can be attributed to the recent success of the Jordanian Football team, after they qualified for the AFC Asian Cup for the first time ever in 2004. The Jordanian basketball team also experienced success after receiving sponsorship by Zain.
More than 60% of the population lives in the metropolis of Amman, concentrating the culture of Jordan in that city. Jordanian pop culture is heavily influenced by the "West". European and American music, movies, fashion and other forms of entertainment are popular among Jordan's people. Amman is consistently stated to be one of the most westernised and modern cities in the region.[5] Malls, Western-brand stores, hotels and nightclubs are important elements in Amman's urban life, especially in West side. English is widely understood and even spoken in lieu of Jordanian Levantine among Jordanians in the upper class and upper middle class. Westernisation is occurring due to traditionally heavy Western and especially British and American influence on the nation's political life and foreign affairs. In addition, many people from western Europe and America had been moving to Amman and calling it their new home in the past few years, this increased trade links with the West and reshaped the culture. Cuisine are borrowed from other surrounding nations especially Egypt, Syria and Turkey.