"Zarb is the Bedouin desert feast cooked underground: meat and vegetables are buried in a coal-lined sand pit and left for hours until they emerge smoky and falling off the bone."
About Zarb
Zarb is one of Jordan's most beloved dishes, representing the rich culinary tradition of the region.
Zarb — a staple of Jordan's cuisine
The Bedouin Underground Oven Zarb is the Bedouin barbecue of the Jordanian desert, cooked in an underground oven. Marinated lamb or chicken and vegetables are stacked on a metal frame, lowered into a sand pit lined with hot coals, sealed under a lid and buried, then left for hours while the trapped heat and smoke cook the meat until it falls off the bone.
A Desert Ritual The unearthing of the zarb is a ceremony in itself, the cover lifted to reveal tender, smoky meat and rice beneath. It is the classic feast served at desert camps in Wadi Rum, where eating it under the stars after the cook digs it from the ground is part of the experience.
What to Expect
At a Wadi Rum desert camp, the highlight is watching the cook brush back the sand and lift the zarb from the pit, the lamb and chicken smoky and tender after hours underground. Eaten with rice under a vast desert sky, it is a meal and a ritual at once.
Why Try It
It is the signature feast of Bedouin hospitality and the desert camps of Wadi Rum, with a smoky flavour only the buried oven can give.
Insider Tips
Eat it at a Bedouin camp in Wadi Rum, where the underground cooking is part of the show.
Be there when the pit is opened; the unearthing is the experience.
Pair it with the sweet Bedouin tea served around the camp fire.
