AJLOUN - A new project in the heart of the Ajloun Forest Reserve is producing Jordanian delights made from local ingredients with an aim to promote the Kingdom's unique flavours abroad.
Nestled in the bottom of a valley in the village of Orjan, and surrounded by fig, pomegranate and olive trees, stands the Biscuit House, a new socio-economic initiative to generate income in northern Jordan and develop a new line of local products.
The Biscuit House opened its doors to visitors last Thursday, offering trekkers the opportunity to sample freshly squeezed juices and homemade biscuits on a terrace overlooking the lush green hills of Ajloun, some 70 kilometres northwest of Amman.
Established late last year, the Biscuit House bakes three kinds of biscuits, olive oil crisps, molasses tea cakes and energy bars, all made from locally grown ingredients.
It is one of three socio-economic ventures implemented in the Ajloun Forest Reserve, alongside the Calligraphy House and the Soap House.
The ventures are part of the Ajloun Socio-Economic Project, funded by the Hanns Seidel Foundation and run by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) through its marketing arm, Wild Jordan.
Chris Johnson, head of RSCN's project for tourism development in southern Jordan and former Wild Jordan director, said the Biscuit House aims at producing products with a Jordanian identity.
Instead of taking home sweets and products imported from neighbouring countries, the project will encourage tourists to buy delicacies with a unique Jordanian flavour, he said.
"The first step is marketing the products internally at Wild Jordan and nature shops at the society's nature reserves and then reaching the shelves of airports' free zones," Johnson said during a ceremony last Wednesday marking the transition of the projects' management from the Hanns Seidel Foundation to the RSCN.
Linked to tourist trails that start from the Ajloun Forest Reserve visitors centre, the Biscuit House also includes a bed and breakfast, with a capacity to provide lodging for nine people, according to the RSCN.
A 30-minute walk from the visitors centre down the road to Rasoun village takes visitors to the Calligraphy House, where tourists can learn about Jordanian culture and the Arabic language.
"We teach tourists some of the basics of the Arabic language, such as how to write and spell their names. This gives them the chance to interact with Arab culture," Ajloun Socio-Economic Project Director Basem Shamoun said.
The Calligraphy House offers tourists the chance to have their names and favourite phrases written in fine Arabic script on leather, clothes or silk, he noted, adding that the centre, which was also officially inaugurated on Thursday, has received 1,850 visitors since September 2009.
A recent study showed that the majority of tourists to Jordan are Europeans, who prefer visiting desert areas in the Kingdom, Johnson said, noting that the project aims to attract visitors to the nature reserve by providing the opportunity to interact with the local community and learn Arab culture.
A few metres down the road from the Calligraphy House lies the Soap House, a building surrounded by a small farm planted with aromatic herbs and trees, which manufactures all-natural handmade olive oil soaps.
A venture that started four years ago with modest earnings, the Soap House has become a major revenue generator, supporting RSCN`s various environmental conservation initiatives.
Ranging from antioxidant-rich pomegranate soaps to mint soaps with toning properties, the facility manufactures more than 30 kinds of soap, Shamoun said.
It also sells green olives and other products manufactured by the women of Orjan.
"The Soap House generated JD81,716 and received 15,000 visitors in 2009. Since the beginning of this year we have received around 14,000 visitors," Shamoun told The Jordan Times.
Underscoring the projects' role in reviving the area, categorised as a poverty pocket, RSCN Director General Yehya Khalid said the three houses celebrate local culture and Ajloun's unique environment.
"These projects seek to protect Ajloun's biological diversity by generating job opportunities and stimulating nature-related ventures, in addition to raising people's awareness about the importance of preserving the environment," Khalid highlighted.
Established in 1987, the Ajloun Forest Reserve covers an area of 13 square kilometres in the Ajloun highlands. Ajloun's woodlands support a wide range of plant and animal biodiversity, including the wild boar, the stone marten, the golden jackal, the red fox, the striped hyena, the Persian squirrel and wolves, according to the RSCN.
The reserve, announced in 2001 by BirdLife International and the RSCN as an Important Bird Area, is home to a variety of wild flowers, including the black iris, several orchids and wild tulips, according to the society's website.
By Hana Namrouqa
© Jordan Times 2010
