From Farm to Fork in Jordan

From Farm to Fork in Jordan© by HIH promotes Sustainable Culinary Tourism with a central role for Sustainable Gastronomy at the intersection of Agriculture, Culinary Arts, Heritage, Destination Management, and Responsible Tourism. The project is aligned with the UN Tourism guidelines for Gastronomy Tourism, Slow Food, and the Economic Modernization Vision related to Green Growth and Destination Jordan. Our mission is to position Jordan as a meaningful food destination that tells the story of Bilad Al Sham (the Levant). Our goal is to meet the ethical culinary expectations of conscientious tourists and business travelers, while encouraging a healthy food culture for local residents.

The foundation of modern gastronomy, flavoring our dishes with spices & herbs like black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and turmeric from Southeast Asia, as well as coriander, cumin, saffron, and sumac from the Fertile Crescent, reached our kitchens through the Ancient Arab trade routes. Caravans laden with silk, spices, foods, perfumes, incense, and other luxury goods embarked on epic odysseys over vast distances from the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula to Bilad Al Sham (the Levant) across The Silk Road and The Spice Routes, to be shipped from the eastern Mediterranean into the European continent. It's beating heart? The humble Camel. These "Ships of the Desert" are woven into the very fabric of Jordanian culture, tracing back to the ancient highways that connected the East to the West.

In celebration of Camels in Jordan, we co-authored a cross-cultural duology with Dr. Nizar Haddad, and contributions from Eng. Sami Allawama, in the wake of the International Year of Camelids from scientific, heritage, socioeconomic, and gastronomic perspectives. Photos and videos by Yazeed Malkawi and Ghazel Hasan.

The 9th edition of the UN Tourism World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism was held in Bahrain on 18 & 19 November. Co-organized by the Basque Culinary Center and hosted by the Ministry of Tourism of Bahrain, the Forum welcomed 500 delegates from 50 countries including policymakers, industry experts, and renowned chefs to focus on sustainability and community empowerment.

We presented "From Farm to Fork in Jordan" on the 1st day. Watch our video (20 min) on the YouTube channel above, and download our presentation from the UN Tourism website below.