The courtyard of the Grand Husseini Mosque is beautifully decorated and families enjoy playing there with their children after night prayer. There are also many stalls all around Downtown Amman that sell different kinds of snacks, but in Ramadan, the qatayef stall is a crowd favorite. Qatayef is a dessert that is made by deep frying Levantine style pancakes that are filled with either Akkawi cheese or walnuts and folded in a half-moon shape. They are coated in a simple sugar syrup once fried and make the perfect evening treat after a long day of fasting. A version of qatayef is also enjoyed without deep frying, and it is called qatayef asafiri (asafiri is derived from the word asfoor, which means bird in Arabic, and it named as such to describe the beak-like shape of the qatayef). In this version, the circular qatayef is pinched on one side, leaving the other side open to be filled with a dollop of rich cream called ashta and finally, garnished with a sprinkle of crushed pistachios along with a drizzle of syrup. Yum! These are just a few traditions that Jordanians anticipate partaking in as they prepare for Ramadan.
