Aqaba: Jordanian Cooking Class & Family Meal with Recipes
Cook Maqluba in a Jordanian Home, Then Eat It Sitting on the Floor
You cook a full Jordanian meal with Mohammed in his family home, learning three dishes while hearing stories about his culture and his mother's recipes. You eat together on the floor, then receive a PDF cookbook to recreate the meals at home. Groups are small, no more than six, and the whole experience takes about three and a half hours, including the meal itself.
Options for this experience
2 optionsStep-by-step itinerary
Jordanian cooking and cultural sharing
- Join host at family house
- Cook typical Jordanian meal
- Learn about ingredients and stories
- Eat meal sitting on the floor
- Share cooking book via email
- Discuss culture and share experiences
What’s included
Your afternoon includes all ingredients and cooking equipment, instruction from Mohammed in his family home, a traditional floor meal with everything you've cooked, tea and conversation with his family, and a PDF cookbook sent to your email after the class so you can recreate the recipes at home.
Times
- Every day 18:00
Before you book
Operated by Suhaila Cooking Class & Walking Tour in Aqaba
Prices and times updated 17 days ago
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The experience
The first thing Mohammed does when you arrive is apologize for his nine-month-old son being louder than expected that morning. His wife laughs from the kitchen. And that's when you realize this isn't a cooking class in the polished sense. It's three hours inside an actual family home in Aqaba, where the recipes are his mother's, the ingredients are real, and the mess is part of it. You'll spend about three to three and a half hours learning to make a typical Jordanian meal: Baba Ganoush, Maqluba (that impressive tower of stewed chicken, rice and fried vegetables that gets flipped onto the plate), Um Ali, and either Fatoush or Taboleh salad, depending on what the group wants. Vegan and vegetarian versions are available if you need them.
The cooking class in Aqaba is structured in three steps, and Mohammed walks through each one without rushing. You're not performing for a camera or racing against a timer. You're learning his family's way of doing things, which means there's time for stories. He'll explain why certain ingredients matter, how his mother taught him, what these dishes mean in Jordanian culture. His daughter might wander through. His wife will offer tea. The point isn't to become a chef. It's to understand food as a way people connect. Groups stay small, maximum six guests, so there's actual conversation, not a lecture.
After the cooking, you all sit together on the floor, the traditional way, and eat everything you made. That's when the recipes arrive too: Mohammed sends a PDF cookbook via email afterward so you can actually make these dishes when you're home. It's not a souvenir. It's the thing that lets the experience keep going after you leave Aqaba. Public transportation is nearby if you need to arrange your own way there, and the whole afternoon ends with you having cooked, eaten, talked, and left with something you can actually use.
Is this one for you?Right for travelers who want to learn Jordanian food from someone who actually cooks it at home, not in a commercial kitchen: the small group size and family setting are what make the cultural exchange real instead of performed.
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Top questions
Do I need cooking experience?
No. Mohammed welcomes anyone. The focus is on learning culture through food, not on technique.
How long is the cooking class?
About three to three and a half hours total, including the meal and time to talk together.
What if I'm vegetarian or vegan?
Yes, Mohammed can adjust the menu. Let him know when you book.
How many people can join?
Up to six guests at a time.
Do I get the recipes?
Yes. Mohammed sends a PDF cookbook via email after the class so you can make the dishes at home.
Is dinner included?
Yes. You eat all the food you cook together, sitting on the floor in the traditional way.
How do I get there?
Public transportation options are available nearby. You can arrange your own transport or ask Mohammed for directions when you book.
What dishes will we cook?
Typically Baba Ganoush, Maqluba, Um Ali, and either Fatoush or Taboleh salad. The exact menu can vary based on group preference.
Aqaba: Jordanian Cooking Class & Family Meal with Recipes
3h
from US$ 50 per person
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