 A variant of mansaf in Amman, Jordan made with samneh (ghee)-infused rice and decorated with sauteed nuts alongside jameed-drenched lamb. | |
| Course | Meal |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Jordan |
| Region or state | Jordanian Highlands,Southern Levant |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | lamb,jameed,rice orbulgur,shrak bread |
| Variations | Laban emmo,shakreyyeh |
Mansaf (Arabic:منسف/ˈman.saf/) is a traditional Jordanian dish made oflamb, cooked in a sauce of fermented dried yogurt and served withrice orbulgur.[1]
It is a popular dish eaten throughout theLevant. It is considered thenational dish ofJordan, and can also be found inPalestine,Kuwait,Saudi Arabia, andSyria.[2][3][4] The name of the dish comes from the term "large tray" or "large dish", and is speculated to have biblical, ancient roots.[5] The dish evolved greatly between the 1940s and late 1980s, undergoing changes in the recipe as well as in the preparation process.
The dish described and prepared byAbraham inGenesis 18 to host travellers passing by his tent, but from which he himself does not eat, is identified by some biblical scholars as mansaf.[6] It has long been held that ancientCanaanites used to make this food at feasts, perhaps celebrating the beginning of the season of spring, and that the prohibition against mixing meat with milk mentioned in theTorah was to distance from these cultic practices, but this view is challenged as speculative.[7] While cautioning against extending present day food practices and ideologies around food into the far past and noting the biblical prohibition against meat and dairy mixing, other scholars noteChalcolithic evidence for the boiling of meat and use of dairies and breads is present at archaeological sites in Jordan, and that the high status accorded to meat and bread inBedouin culture, which disdains leaving staler pieces unused, may indeed reflect some of the biblical norms.[8]
Tradition inJordan holds that mansaf dates back to at least the time of the 9th century BCE KingMesha (Moabite: 𐤌𐤔𐤏,vocalized as:Mōšáʿ) ofMoab, who exhorted his people to make it to distinguish themselves fromHebrews with whom he was at war.[9]
The original pastoralist Bedouin mansaf underwent significant changes in the 20th century. The dish is said to originally have been made with simply meat (camel or lamb), meat broth orghee (clarified butter) and bread.[10]
19th centuryorientalistReinhart Dozy describedmansaf ruzz (ruzz means "rice") as a "heap of cooked rice".[11]
Following the popularization of rice in northern Transjordan in the 1920s, rice gradually was introduced into the dish, at first mixed with bulgur, and later on its own, until the dish reached its modern incarnation of being based on white rice. Similarly, thejameed sauce is a recent development, as the Bedouins did not historically feature jameed in their cooked dishes until their modern sedentarization.[12][clarification needed]
Cooking mansaf is a master-apprentice tradition requiring hours of preparation. It begins with the cutting of meat on the bone into sections and placing it in boiling yogurt, where it is simmered for hours over a steady heat. This yogurt broth can be made from a thin, soured milk (laban imkheedh) or a hard, dry yogurt (jameed, described in further detail below).[13]
Jameed is a hard dryyogurt that is prepared by the boiling of sheep orgoat's milk, which is then left to dry and ferment.[14] The mixture is later kept in a fine wovencheesecloth to make a thick yogurt. Salt is added daily to thicken the yogurt even more for a few days, which then becomes very dense and is shaped into round balls. The city ofAl-Karak in Jordan has a reputation for producing the highest quality of jameed.[15]
After the meat is cooked in the yogurt broth, often using jameed as its base, the dish is served on a large platter with a layer offlatbread (markook orshrak) topped with rice and then meat, garnished withalmonds andpine nuts, and then the creamy yogurt sauce is poured on top of the dish.[16][17] Jordanian mansaf typically includes a blend of spices and wild herbs calledhwajeh (Arabic:حواجة).[18][19][20]
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Mansaf is associated with a traditional Jordanian culture based on anagro-pastoral lifestyle in which meat and yogurt are readily available. Mansaf is served on special occasions such as weddings, births and graduations, or to honor a guest, and on major holidays such asEid ul-Fitr,Eid ul-Adha,Christmas,Easter andJordan's Independence Day. It is traditionally eaten collectively from a large platter in theBedouin and rural style, standing around the platter with the left hand behind the back and using the right hand instead of utensils.[21] Mansaf plays an active role in settling tribal disputes in Jordan in what is known as anAtwa (truce) and aJa'ha (peacemaking process).[22] It is thought to signal the end of a conflict when the heads of conflicting tribes visit each other and the host sacrifices a sheep or a goat for a shared mansaf, taken to be a sign of reconciliation.[23]
Since mansaf was originally popular among Bedouins, much of the traditions that they used with the dish still exist today. The tray containing mansaf is placed on a table where people gather around it while standing. Mansaf should be eaten with the use of a person's right hand only while the left is behind the person's back. The hand is used to create balls of rice and then the ball is placed in the mouth through the use of three fingers. It is frowned upon to blow on the ball of rice, no matter how hot. Many of these traditions are still used; however, it can also be eaten with spoons and plates.[24]
Mansaf is frequently referred to as Jordan's "national dish" and its preparation and the traditions surrounding that are one of the country'sintangible cultural heritage listings as recognized byUNESCO in 2022.
Joseph Massad writes that mansaf was promulgated as a national dish following theIndependence of Jordan, and is portrayed by the state as a dish that is both national and a Bedouin tradition,[12] despite it also historically being a dish of the peasants and Bedouins of the neighboring regions of southern Palestine and Syria.[25][26]
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The inhabitants ofAl-Salt andAl-Karak are reputed to make the best mansaf in Jordan. In Palestine, Mansaf is the main dish of the central and southern areas of theWest Bank and theNegev desert. Other variants of the dish also exist and are adapted to the regional tastes and circumstances. These include fish mansaf, found in the south around the port city ofAqaba. An urban, less ceremonial adaptation of mansaf using non-dried yogurt is calledshakreyyeh orlaban emmo. It is sometimes cooked with poultry instead of lamb and is common in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and the northern part of Jordan.[27] In the 2020s, a restaurateur inAmman began selling single servings of mansaf in cups. While some customers find it convenient, others find that it demeans the prestige and honor associated with it.[28][29]
Prior to 1945, mansaf was made up of three main components: the bread, the meat and the clarified butter. The bread that was used is calledkhobz al-shrak. It is a whole wheat bread that is described as "thick", "flat", "paper-thin" and "crumb-less".[30] Mansaf was made using whole wheat flour because wheat was an easily accessible crop at the time. The specific type of bread varied based on local regions.[31] The next main component of mansaf was the meat. It was boiled in water in order to clean it from dirt and film that developed on its surface. After the meat was fully cooked, it was added on top of the bread, and the meat broth was poured over the bread. The final step was pouring the clarified butter, called samin beladee, on top.[32]
The first evolutions to change this initial recipe were a decrease in the amount of broth added to the base, and addingbulgur wheat to the meal. This is because bulgur became a widely grown crop around 1945. The wheat was cleaned, boiled, then spread on a clean surface and left to dry in the sun for a few days. Once the drying process was complete, the wheat was ground up, which is what turns it into bulgur wheat. Finally, the bulgur wheat was cooked similar to how rice is cooked today.[32]
Around the 1950s, replacing bulgur wheat with rice started to rise in popularity when making mansaf, due to the proximity of a city in Jordan called Hartha to Syrian and Palestinian borders. This resulted in better access to trade networks.[33]
In the early 1960s, new toppings were introduced to the recipe of mansaf. Those include roasted almonds and pine nuts. A few years after that, the clarified butter and the broth were replaced withjameed, which is a yogurt sauce. People also started cooking the meat in this yogurt sauce, which resulted in a more "robust flavor" which marinated the meat during the cooking process.[34]
Prior to the 1970s, mansaf was cooked in a large copper cauldron that was placed over a fire in the courtyards of one's home. The cauldron was so large that people had no choice but to cook the dish outdoors. Once the ingredients were fully cooked, they would be placed on a large copper platter and carried indoors.[35]
After the 1970s, many changes occurred to the original recipe and preparation of mansaf. The bread was replaced with rice, and the platter used for the mansaf changed from traditional copper to a florally decorated enamelware or aluminum platter.[32] These changes happened due to advancements in technology, which made it possible for mansaf to be cooked indoors, in smaller amounts for smaller groups of people like families.[32]
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