Nightfall brings a surprise for guests looking to try zarb
IAN STALKER
You never know who will suddenly appear when dinnertime rolls around at the Sun City Camp in the Wadi Rum region of Jordan.
The desert retreat — which is eager to familiarize guests with Bedouin culture — includes among its evening culinary offerings zarb, a slow-cooked Bedouin dish that is left to simmer in underground pits before being served.
Numerous holes are dug in a sandy area by Sun City Camp’s restaurant and food is placed in them and covered with metal lids as dinner approaches.
Guests are invited to gather around the holes when it’s time for the food to be extracted, with two of the onlookers then invited to lift the lids in the dark, post-sundown setting, leading to a Sun City Camp staffer unexpectedly springing from his hole after it’s uncovered, catching startled onlookers off-guard.
“Our culinary team at Sun City Camp has crafted a distinctive and entertaining experience for our guests,” says the retreat’s Jawad Kasim. “When our catering staff springs out from the covered pits with the food, it often elicits a surprising and delightful reaction from our guests. The element of surprise adds an extra touch of excitement to the dining experience, and many find it to be a memorable highlight of their stay.”
Sun City Camp has been surprising guests with the practice since a member of its kitchen staff suggested the stunt in 2019.
Zarb itself is described as a traditional Bedouin offering and is a culinary highlight at Sun City Camp. The unique cooking technique involves slow-roasting meat on a charcoal fire placed in underground pits for approximately three and a half hours.
The process imparts a distinct flavour and tenderness to the meat, creating a delicious and authentic Bedouin dining experience.
“Once the cooking is complete, our skilled catering staff extracts the food from the underground pits, presenting a captivating and memorable moment for our guests,” Kasim says.
One Canadian who helped a compatriot traveller raise the lids acknowledged after the Sun City Camp employee suddenly sprung up — leading to shrieks from onlookers — that she should have clued in that the hole the staffer was concealed in wasn’t being used for cooking.
“We should have known,” she said. “It wasn’t hot at all.”
Sun City Camp offers a number of activities for guests, including desert excursions and stargazing, with the sparsely populated area free of light pollution, creating spectacular celestial displays.
Sun City Camp is offered by Amman-based Karma House, which is used by Goway Travel.
