The taboon bread is also enjoyed with za'atar, a a vibrantly seasoned flatbread topping that consists of olive oil, dried herbs, toasted sesame seeds and sumac. In Wadi Rum, we enjoyed zarb which is a traditional Bedouin-style dish made by cooking meat and vegetables in a sealed underground pit. The warmth and heartiness of the meal is a perfect complement to the chilly night as you wind down under the canopy of stars above you. These meals are strongly tied to the unique resources in the environment and are resultantly distinct in their flavors and methods of preparation.
Family Culture
One of the most memorable aspects of spending time in Ajloun and Wadi Rum was the strong communal bonds among locals and the visible generational ties to the environment. At the olive harvesting trip, there were three generations of family members as well as neighbors who came together to harvest olives. My observations of one particular member of the family stood with me. A girl who was just about nine years old swiftly picked olives from the branches and knew exactly where to step on the drop cloth to not step on the olives that fell from above and dropped beside her feet. Every now and then, she would give the drop cloth a quick shake to move the collected olives closer to one another. Her skills came to her so naturally and it was evident that she undertook this responsibility with great determination and care. Our tour guide in Wadi Rum commented that he finds the serenity of the desert unmatched. He mentioned that he has driven around the area so many times growing up that he has virtually memorized the layout of the entire desert.
