Um Ali, Lemon Mint and Bedouin Coffee

As we walked into the Green Valley Restaurant near Jaresh, Jordan, we were met by this baker and his stacks of freshly baked kopiz bread.

We walked past colorful baskets waiting to be loaded with food:

...and water pipes waiting to be smoked:

Once seated we were given this absolutely delicious warm bread to go with our salads:

Followed by this black-sesame laden kopiz to eat with meats:

Our driver and guide suggested I try the Jordanian Lemon Mint drink. It was so delicious I had to order a second one. It was a perfect combination of lemon, finely chopped mint, water, sugar and ice.

At our hotel I discovered the best Um Ali of the trip. Loaded with cinnamon, sultanas, almonds and pistachios, it takes bread pudding to a whole new level. I've looked on the Internet for recipes but most all include pastry dough. This one seemed to have no pastry, only bread. It was so very yummy!

Outside of Ajlun Castle we were greeted by these two men offering tiny but powerful cups of Arabic and Bedouin coffees. They said the difference is that Arabic coffee has sugar and Bedouin doesn't. I opted for sugar, even though I could barely tell it was there.

The heat source—burning embers encased in a cylinder and inserted into the center of the coffee pot—smokes fiercely.