From Farm to Fork in Jordan

11/05/2026

“If I were Minister of Food & Beverage” is built around the 10 Ps of a hypothetical but concrete National Sustainable Gastronomy Strategy. We broke down the long-form article of 1800+ words into six simple posts - this one focuses on:

8️⃣ – Presentation
9️⃣ – Promotion
🔟 – Proof

The full article first appeared in The Hotel Yearbook (HYB) Annual Edition 2026 by Hospitality Net, the nr. 1 independent platform for the global Hospitality Industry.

HYB publisher and founder Henri Roelings about this year’s theme: “Converging forces are reshaping hospitality at every level. With this 2026 edition, we wanted to move beyond buzzwords and look at how real hotel companies are designing hybrid business models that are resilient, profitable, and responsible. Our contributors are not speculating from the sidelines; they write from the reality of leading change in their own organizations and markets.”

Visit https://www.hospitalitynet.org

Synopsis: HIH founder Nico Dingemans lays out a fictional but very concrete National Sustainable Gastronomy Strategy 2026 built around ten “Ps,” linking health, environment, innovation, and social impact across the entire food value chain. Framed as a policy letter, it argues that countries must hard-wire sustainable gastronomy into education, procurement, tourism, and measurement systems to turn food into both a wellbeing driver and a national competitive advantage.

Read more www.hotelyearbook.com/article/122000514/if-i-were-minister-of-food-beverage

10/05/2026

Today’s Youth, Tomorrow’s Leaders

Since 2012, HIH has collaborated with leading culinary academies and hotel schools in Spain, Jordan, and the Netherlands — including the Basque Culinary Center, Luminus Technical University College, the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts, the Hashemite University, Saxion University of Applied Sciences, and the Cas Spijkers Culinary Academy.

Our guest lectures, curricula, and educational events focus on Health Cuisine, Sustainable Gastronomy, and Responsible Food & Beverage Management — all anchored in the “4Cs” of our People Philosophy for both adult and youth education:

1️⃣ Cultural Confidence — understanding heritage as a foundation for innovation

2️⃣ Connectivity — linking people, places, and food systems

3️⃣ Charm — cultivating hospitality as a human-centered craft

4️⃣ Competence — building technical, creative, and managerial excellence

Educating and engaging future General Managers, Executive Chefs, Food & Beverage Directors, Marketing Directors, Restaurant Owners, and Procurement Managers is essential to driving long-term sustainable transformation across the hospitality sector.

One of our youth-focused initiatives, “Ships of the Desert Part II,” explored the theme Heritage, Culinary Innovation, Education, and Revitalization. Following two camel farm visits and guest lectures for culinary students at Luminus Technical University College (LTUC) in Amman, the young chefs designed and executed an innovative Camel Cuisine lunch at LTUC’s student‑training restaurant Le Bistro. The menu showcased creative applications of camel milk, camel meat, and camel cheese — demonstrating how healthy heritage ingredients can inspire modern, responsible gastronomy.

Read more on: www.hospitalityinhealth.com/education

healthcuisine

13/12/2025

Three consecutive Mondays in November and December were dedicated to organizing "Ships of the Desert Part II." The theme: “Heritage, Culinary innovation, Education, and Revitalization. On two Monday mornings, culinary students from Luminus Technical University College (LTUC) visited a camel farm in Amman to connect with the source of their ingredients. On the third Monday, the students prepared a lunch menu featuring unique dishes made with camel milk, cheese, and meat from Camelera كاميليرا. A true farm-to-fork story of Camel Cuisine in Jordan.
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The event began with a reception at the School of Hospitality & Tourism at Luminus at LTUC, where guests were welcomed with camel milk beverages and a selection of four canapés: camel cheese pumpkin arancini, camel cheese crisps, roast camel meat crostini, and camel meat puffs. Lunch was served at Le Bistro, LTUC’s student-training restaurant. The first course featured a beetroot salad topped with camel milk cheese and quinoa tuile, followed by a main course of slow-cooked camel meat with polenta, glazed seasonal vegetables, and camel gravy. For dessert, guests enjoyed two flavours of camel milk gelato, halawet el jibn filled with caramelized camel milk paste, and profiteroles filled with cardamom rice pudding made from camel milk. The meal concluded with camel milk chocolate decorated with an edible camel print.
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Our primary goal is to create demand for local, healthy camel products in Jordan's hospitality market to improve the livelihoods of Bedouin communities while raising awareness of Jordan’s rich nomadic heritage. Our approach? Start with youth. Educating and engaging our future General Managers, Executive Chefs, Food and Beverage Directors, Marketing Directors, and Procurement Managers is essential for driving sustainable transformation in our industry. Today's youth are tomorrow's leaders.
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Dr. Saaherah Malkawi, Head of the Hotels and Tourism Department at LTUC, summarized it perfectly: “This event carries a meaningful message for Jordan and Jordanians to awaken our hidden heritage and culture and bring it back to the surface.”

10/04/2025

- A Story of Heritage & Resilience -
We are excited to share Part 2 (by Dr Nizar Haddad) of our cross-cultural duology with Nico Dingemans (Part 1), showcasing the groundbreaking research of Dr. Nizar and his team that among the diverse types of dromedaries, the Jordanian Alia camel (locally known as “Jamal Alia”) is a genetically distinct breed and deserves preservation.

Read more here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/alia-camel-symbol-jordans-heritage-resilience-nizar-haddad-phd-1x4se/

| Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) | United Nations | Camelera كاميليرا

A cross-cultural duology (part 2) in the wake of the International Year of Camelids from scientific, heritage, socioeconomic, and gastronomic perspectives. Photos and videos by Yazeed Malkawi, Ghazel Hasan, and Jihad Jbara.

10/04/2025

- A Story of Ancient Trade Routes & Gastronomy -
We are proud to share Part 1 (by Nico Dingemans) of our cross-cultural duology with Dr Nizar Haddad (Part 2). The foundation of modern gastronomy, flavoring our dishes with spices & herbs like black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and turmeric from Southeast Asia, as well as coriander, cumin, saffron, and sumac from the Fertile Crescent, reached our kitchens through the Ancient Arab trade routes. It's beating heart? The humble Camel. These "Ships of the Desert" are woven into the very fabric of Jordanian culture, tracing back to the ancient highways, connecting the East and the West.

Read the full article here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/celebration-camels-jordan-nico-dingemans-oeksf/

| Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) | United Nations | Camelera كاميليرا

A cross-cultural duology authored by Nico Dingemans (part 1) and Dr. Nizar Haddad, PhD (part 2) in the wake of the International Year of Camelids from scientific, heritage, socioeconomic, and gastronomic perspectives, with contributions from Sami Allawama.

29/11/2024

12 Key Takeaways in review. Building on last year's theme "Back to the Roots", this year’s theme during the 9th UN Tourism World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism on 18 and 19 November 2024 was "Gastronomy Tourism: A Driver of Economic Diversification and Inclusion". Here is a quick overview of this year’s 12 Key Takeaways in 6 slides.

The 4 key takeaways we personally believe to be extra noteworthy are: #1: Gastronomy Tourism is a growing economic sector with great potential for diversifying economies | #3: Public Private Partnerships. Many destinations now have working groups/tasks in gastronomy and gastronomy tourism | #9: Food Waste Fight is on! | #12: Food connects us in times of uncertainty and turmoil.

You can download all presentations of the Masterclasses, Key Takeaways, and Get Inspired Sessions via our link-in-bio

 

09/10/2024

The 9th UN Tourism World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism will take place on 18-19 November 2024 in Manama, Bahrain, organized by World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Basque Culinary Center, and Bahrain Tourism & Exhibition Authority. Building on last year's theme 'Back to the Roots', this year´s theme is 'Gastronomy Tourism: A Driver of Economic Diversification and Inclusion'.

I am honored to participate as a speaker about From Farm to Fork in Jordan and highlight the Kingdom's eclectic cuisine which is rooted in Bilad Al Sham (the Levant) and the Arabian Peninsula and one of the most significant contributors to the modern Mediterranean Diet and global culinary heritage.

Join us for networking opportunities and insightful discussions in this meaningful event that celebrates Cuisine, Culture, and Community. Experience Bahrain's unique culinary tradition that reflects diverse cultural influences, including Arabic, Persian, Western, Eastern, Indian, and African cuisines from street food stalls to luxury dining experiences.

Registrations are open until 31 October 2024 https://www.unwto.org/9-World-Forum-Gastronomy-Tourism-Bahrain

Held for the first time in the Middle East, the Forum will bring together global leaders, policymakers, industry experts, and renowned chefs, to unveil the transformative power of gastronomy tourism in advancing economic resilience, inclusivity, sustainability, and building a strong image for destinations that will elevate the future of tourism.

Visit Jordan

04/09/2024

- When values align, the dialogue deepens -

I feel very fortunate to be featured by Sonal Uberoi in her Wellness in Hospitality series. We had a great talk about the intersection of wellness, sustainable gastronomy, and culinary tourism.

Sonal is a global wellness expert who believes that tomorrow’s hospitality leader is wellness-oriented. Based in Madrid, she´s the founder of Spa Balance with Sonal Uberoi and transformed leading hotels through wellness in 20+ countries across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific. She is the nr.1 best-selling author of The Wellness Asset and interviewed over 150 hoteliers worldwide.

From Farm to Fork in Jordan World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

"Sustainable culinary tourism isn't just about food—it's about honouring the entire food supply chain, from the farm to the table, and ensuring it reflects the heritage and sustainability of a destination." - Nico Dingemans.

25/06/2024

As we celebrated Sustainable Gastronomy Day on June 18th, here are 7 steps to cultivate Sustainable Culinary Tourism. Our initiatives in Jordan and the Netherlands with leading (Michelin) chefs & Experts from Jordan, Canada, the USA, Curaçao, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, and the UK highlight the impact of a co-creative approach in driving remarkable transformations.

Visit the link-in-bio for the content rich article or go to https://bit.ly/HIH7Steps