On the first day of Ramadan in Jordan, at the time of Iftar, almost every table has the popular dish “Munsaf”. It is the historical and oldest dish of Jordan. Although it is eaten fondly in many other Arab countries, in Jordan, in particular, it is served in every home and every celebration.
Traditionally, people gather to eat this “white” dish at weddings and other celebrations to mark the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan.
Mansef, recently added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in Jordan, has become Jordan’s first globally popular dish.
“Beginning with White”
Why is it mandatory to arrange iftar on the first day of Ramadan in Jordan?
Speaking about this, Tamara, a citizen of Jordan, said that there is a tradition of starting this holy month with “white”. It refers to a dish cooked with white milk which is actually a beautiful symbol that we are starting Ramadan with whiteness and purity. Mansaf dish is adopted for this purpose, as it is the most popular dish in Jordan.
He said that the delicious taste of Munsaf appeals to people of all ages, and is especially awaited for Iftar.
What is Munsaf?
Munsaf is considered a symbol of generosity in Jordan. It is also served at weddings and funerals. It is prepared using rice, mutton and condensed milk called “Jameed”.
Condensed milk is made after turning it into curd or lassi, and then the milk is churned in special vessels, so that the butter is separated.
The Shanina is then heated over a fire without stirring until it thickens until it becomes cheese-like, then it is kept in a sieve for at least a day to drain the excess water. And finally a little salt is added to it and balls are made and dried in the sun.
The next step is to cook the meat in this milk broth and prepare the rice. It is also made by different techniques in different regions.
Al-Kirq Governorate in South Jordan is considered to be the best in jamid industry and the best type of jamid here is called “Jamid Kurki”.
