Memories of Hummus
2.5
at Royal Jordanian Crown Lounge (Queen Alia International Airport)
-Zizya-
solo
Mission to Jordan, Day 6 (see previously 6.158 Chicken Shawarma Sandwich).
In Amman. Arrived Tuesday. Wednesday thru today, I participated in a workshop to support countries in strengthening their legal frameworks to restrict the marketing of junk food to kids. Departing tonight, arriving back in Manila on Sunday evening.
At the business lounge in the airport, I enjoyed a final taste of hummus*, which I’ve eaten daily throughout my stay here. Creamy and hearty, light and healthful, the ultimate dip/sauce/condiment to everything from raw cucumbers to falafel to grilled meats. Love it.
*From a previous life, my sole memory of hummus dates back to 2002, when I was working at LRK, when LY was living in an apartment right across the street, and we went there to make ourselves lunch — the only occasion that I can recall doing so — and she whipped up a batch of hummus from scratch (can’t remember what I contributed, though salmon rings a distant bell). I didn’t much appreciate it, not because it was bad, but because I hadn’t yet learned to recognize the beauty of the dish.
For dinner, I’d attempted to eat at a Korean restaurant, intending to make Amman the 20th city in the 13th country outside of Korea where I’ve tried a Korean restaurant (see previously 5.342 Crocodile Meat…). However, when I got to the general vicinity, as indicated on the map, the establishment no longer seemed to be there. Oh well.
A couple blocks away, I ran across a shopping mall and went inside, hoping to find a casual Jordanian restaurant for dinner. Alas, nothing but a food court with a few shawarma stands.
Not a complete waste of time, the mall had a large supermarket, where I acquired a few local ingredients that I’ll try out back home.
By the time that I got back to the hotel, no time to eat a proper dinner.
Although the individual meals during this trip were inconsistent and forgettable, the overall dining experience confirmed that Arabic/Middle-Eastern cuisine suits my palate, as I’ve begun to discover in Manila (see for example 6.137 Mixed Grill + Tabouleh).