From the kitchen of the Grand Hyatt Amman. If you love to eat, you’ll love Iftar!

Iftar is the evening meal during Ramadan. After the sunset call to prayer, Muslims traditionally break their fast by eating dates and water. Then comes the real food: arab salad, tabouleh, stuffed grape leaves, falafel, and shawarma. And that’s just a short list!

Acting as culinary advisor for the evening, Head Chef Rabah pointed out traditional dishes and helped us to fill our plates. One of my favorite aspects of the Grand Hyatt’s massive buffet was the falafel station. Watching a chef prepare and fry the team’s huge order of those amazing little chickpea patties was a blast. We definitely kept him busy!

Cooking Class. In Middle Eastern cooking, there are several key ingredients. Mint is found almost everywhere (even in lemonade). Common spices include turmeric, cinnamon, and paprika. Fresh cucumber and tomato are also important, as is olive oil, lemon juice, and tamarind juice.

Under the Grand Hyatt’s guidance, Ilana and I both got to try our hands at cooking. Ilana made om aly (or um ali), a traditional Egyptian dessert. I made stuffed grape leaves, called yolangi (or yallangi). I also got to wear a proper chef’s jacket!

The best part of the day was definitely eating the enormous pile of yolangi I had helped to prepare! I had tried stuffed grape leaves before, but this batch was unique. There was a very intense, tangy taste. I must have eaten a dozen within five minutes. I was in food heaven!

Next: Listen to some Middle Eastern Music.

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