Simmered with Purpose || The Bone Broth Experts of Mish Mataam
Mish Mataam, once celebrated for its original pop-up supper experiences, has reinvented itself as a go-to source of ‘comfort in a cup,’ proudly claiming the title of broth connoisseur. Their bone broths are more than just a trend—they’re a delicious return to wholesome, nourishing food. Noor El Fadl’s journey began as a personal quest to relieve her knee pain with natural remedies, but it quickly blossomed into a business that brings the goodness of Jordanian-grown ingredients to kitchens everywhere. Together with her ‘partner-in-broth’ Adiba Mango, a clean-eating enthusiast committed to healthy choices for her family, they’ve crafted a range of broths that are as nutritious as they are flavorful. From a protein-packed beef broth to a vibrant turmeric-ginger blend and a plant-based vegan option, Mish Mataam is redefining the meaning of comfort food with local ingredients, zero preservatives, and fresh produce from Jordanian farms. Join CIIN as we dive into their story—a tale of passion, purpose, and creativity.
What inspired you to start offering bone broths, and how have you developed your current menu of options?
Mish Mataam started as a pop-up dinner concept a few years back. With everything happening in our region, Noor decided that it was best to put the dinners on hold and focus on producing a local and natural food product that would incorporate local farmers and producers with a focus on health and sustainability.
At the time, Noor was suffering from an old knee injury and while researching ways to help relieve joint pain, came across the benefits of drinking bone broth to help relieve joint pain and repair bones. Through conversations with family and friends and mulling over ideas for Mish Mataam, Noor’s brother Jad mentioned how popular broths were in Spain and encouraged her to investigate it further. Noor reached out to Adiba, a relative and mother of three, who is also passionate about finding healthy ingredients and ‘clean’ alternatives for her family. So began the journey of working on a local and natural bone broth.
A central part of our philosophy is to produce broths that are not only healthy and nutritious but also packed with flavor. Our broths can either be enjoyed as a warm drink or as a base to enhance the taste and nutritional value of home dishes. While working on our menu, we knew that we have to offer a variety of interesting flavors combining ingredients such as fresh turmeric, ginger, garlic, cinnamon, nutmeg and much more. We currently offer four types of broths to customers fresh on a weekly basis and we are working on expanding our range. These include Beef Bone Broth with Mixed Spices and Herbs, Chicken Bone Broth with Mixed Spices and Herbs, Chicken Bone Broth with Turmeric and Ginger, and a Vegetable Broth.
How do you source your ingredients, particularly the organic seasonal vegetables from Mujeb Organic Farms and Green Apple Organic Farm?
It is important for us to keep our broths 100% natural, with no preservatives and artificial ingredients. We source bones locally and have chosen to use local organic vegetables and herbs when in season. These not only enhance the flavors of our broths but also amongst other health benefits aid in digestion and in fighting inflammation. Our broths simmer on gentle heat for almost 24 hours allowing us to draw as many nutrients from the bones as possible and to get a gelatinous texture. We should also add that we are trying to be as sustainable and waste-free as possible by using recyclable glass jars and most of our byproducts, including our vegetables, herbs and spices, are sent for composting to Amina Farm and Al Thara Native Plant Nursery in Majdal, Jerash.
Can you explain the health benefits of your beef, chicken, and vegan broths?
Bone broth has many health benefits. To begin with, it helps support gut and digestive health which is, as we all know, fundamental to total body wellness. Bone broth also reduces joint and muscle pain and helps in building stronger bones. Other benefits of bone broth are that it can help support and boost the immune system and reduce inflammation. Bone broth is also rich in vitamins, minerals and is a major source of collagen which is essential for skin, nail, and hair health. It is said to also promote better sleep.
Noor has found that starting her day with a cup of warm broth has really improved her knee pain and overall health and wellbeing. Adiba adds that the broths are a staple in her kitchen that she uses daily while cooking for her children. The broths not only enhance the nutritional value and flavor of her home dishes, but also make the cooking process easier and quicker.
What challenges have you faced in maintaining the quality of your broth?
One of the main challenges that we face is the fact our organic vegetables are seasonal, so we must work and adapt according to their availability. We have chosen not to add any preservatives, including acids like vinegar, therefore making our shelf life quite short. This is something that we are hoping to address. We aim to do so through canning methods that increase shelf life and durability which do not compromise on the quality of our product. We have also chosen to use glass jars, making a conscious decision to avoid plastics. We are careful to use stainless steel cooking tools and pots to make our slow simmering cooking process healthy and non- toxic.
How do you decide which spices and vegetables to include in your broths each week?
Our spices and vegetables change according to seasonal availability.
Can you tell us about your customers’ feedback regarding the bone broths, and have you made any adjustments based on their preferences?
Customer feedback has been positive and extremely supportive. We did however get a couple of requests for a more neutral beef broth that uses less spices. So hopefully soon we will come up with a more herb-based beef broth.
Why did you choose to offer a vegetarian/vegan broth option, and how has it been received compared to your beef and chicken broths?
The beef bone broth is the most popular broth in our range probably because of its higher protein and collagen content. As for our chicken options, our chicken with turmeric and ginger recipe is the more popular of the two. It is a special broth, a ‘golden’ elixir, packed with flavor and anti-inflammatory benefits. We are keenly awaiting fresh local turmeric season to bring it back to our weekly menu.
We have also decided to introduce a vegan broth after several requests from customers for a fresh, natural, and nutritious vegetarian option. Composed of a flavorful blend of seasonal local vegetables and herbs, it is a great source of nutrition that can be added to all types of soups and dishes and is a tasty broth that can be enjoyed during lent fasting.
What are some creative ways your customers can incorporate your bone broth into their daily meals beyond traditional soups?
Our broths are an easy way to add protein, collagen, nutrients and flavor to your diet and dishes. They can be enjoyed as a warm cup of goodness first thing in the morning with an optional squeeze of lemon to benefit from broth’s healthy collagen and gut nourishing properties. Our broths also make cooking easier and less time consuming. Eating well should not require hours in the kitchen and having our broths readily available in our customers’ fridges and freezers make that possible. They can be used to whip up your favorite soup in minutes or incorporated in curries, rice dishes, burghoul pilafs, risottos, stews, sauces and much more. Our broths are about making simple steps to supporting you and your family’s health and wellbeing.
Do you have any favorite recipes or tips for using the broth to enhance the flavor of everyday dishes like grains and sauces?
Adiba particularly likes to use it in Arabic dishes such as eggplant mnazaleh, spinach with minced meat, kabseh, burghoul, rice, risottos and to add flavor and protein to yoghurt-based dishes such as shoshbarak and kosa bil laban. Just replace water with broth in any recipe and you will see the difference in flavor and taste.
If you could create a broth inspired by a famous dish or cuisine, what would it be, and what unique ingredients would you add?
One broth we are keen on developing is an Asian inspired broth that can be used in ramens and other Asian dishes. Unique ingredients that we would include are shiitake mushrooms, miso paste, lime leaves, kombu (kelp seaweed) and dried bonito flakes.
