Inside the Jordanian Kitchen That Changed How I Travel
How a quiet women’s cooperative in northern Jordan reshaped my understanding of connection, culture, and purpose.
Just north of Amman, the road to Souf winds through rolling hills dotted with olive trees and stone terraces. It’s the kind of landscape that makes you unclench your shoulders without realizing it, where time seems to move at the pace of the breeze. I arrived expecting a simple cooking class — a fun detour before heading onward to Umm Quais
Instead, I walked into a kitchen that changed the way I think about travel.
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Where Hospitality Becomes a Language of Its Own
Beit Khayrat Souf sits inside a century-old stone home, its walls worn smooth by years of weather and women’s hands. It’s part café, part community anchor, and completely run by local women — many of whom built this cooperative from scratch with support from the Princess Alia Foundation and the global nonprofit Planeterra.
Inside, the air was warm with the scent of cinnamon, fried eggplant, and something else I couldn’t place at first — that unmistakable aroma of a kitchen filled with laughter.
The women didn’t greet me like a visitor. They greeted me like someone they’d been waiting for.
Learning Maqluba — and Something More
We gathered around a long wooden table, and before long, bowls of vegetables, rice, and marinated chicken appeared between us. One of the women — whose smile could brighten a room — she put a pot on the table and said, “Now you make Maqluba like Jordanian women do.”
No recipes.
No measurements.
Just intuition, tradition, and a level of confidence I could only admire. Watching her was amazing.
We were all able to get in on the action, we each were assigned a vegetable and a knife and told how to cut it. Some of us were more confident than others.
As we layered the dish, stories began to unfold naturally. Stories about daughters and sons, about the cooperative’s beginnings, about how having a place like this created independence where there hadn’t been any before.
By the time the pot was flipped, revealing a golden, fragrant tower of rice and vegetables, I felt less like a traveler and more like a distant relative returning home after too long away.
Lunch was served family-style in the courtyard: fresh fattoush, salad, warm bread, and that beautiful Maqluba we made together. We lingered long after the plates were empty, passing tea and talking as though we’d known each other for years.
The Power of Choosing Experiences That Create Ripples
That afternoon stayed with me — not because of the food, but because of the women. The pride in their voices. The joy in their kitchen. The resilience is woven into everyday tasks.
It made me think about travel differently.
About the choices we make on the road.
And about how the places we choose to spend our time — and money — can create ripples far beyond a single afternoon.
Beit Khayrat Souf isn’t just a cooking class. It’s a community lifeline. Income stays right here in Souf. Skills become independence. And women who once doubted their place in Jordan’s workforce are now mentors, teachers, and business leaders.
This is what responsible tourism looks like when it’s done with heart. The Princess Alia Foundation gave the cooperative its first scaffolding. Planeterra amplified its reach. But the women — their grit, their humor, their brilliance — they’re the ones who turned it into something unforgettable.
Why This One Experience Shifted My Perspective Completely
I’ve traveled to over 40 countries. I’ve stood in front of wonders, trekked through mountains, and photographed landscapes that didn’t seem real. But this afternoon in Souf?
It softened me.
It slowed me down.
It made me remember why travel matters in the first place.
Not the bucket lists.
Not the perfect photos.
But moments like this — unplanned, intimate, rooted in real human connection.
That shift stayed with me.
It’s why I decided to bring other women back here.
For Women Who Want More Than Just a Trip
In April 2026, I’m returning to Jordan with a small group of women — and Beit Khayrat Souf is one of the experiences I’m most excited to share. Not because it’s a “must-do,” but because it’s meaningful. Because it invites you into a world that most travelers never get to see. Because it changes something in you.
If Jordan is calling you — whether for adventure, culture, healing, or connection — this is your invitation to say yes.
We’ll explore Petra and Wadi Rum, float in the Dead Sea, wander through ancient ruins, and sit at this same table in Souf. And maybe, just maybe, something will shift in you too.
If you’d like to join me in Jordan, the details are linked below.
No pressure. No rush. Just an open seat at the table if it’s meant for you.
