Jameed, in Jordan, is one of the easiest foods to recognize. They are hard white balls, about 20 cm in diameter, so they look more like stones than what they are: one of the most characteristic and popular dairy products of this country. In this post we tell you what they are, how they are made and in which dishes you can find them, as they are very present in the local gastronomy.
Jameed: A Dry, Hard Yogurt
Jameed, which can also be spelled yamid, is a dairy product that is very typical of Jordan, especially from the city of Karak, where the country’s most coveted jameed come from. It can also be found in other countries in the region, such as Saudi Arabia and Palestine.
Its shape is ball-like, about 20 cm, and its consistency is very hard. It is made with sheep’s or goat’s milk, through a slow process that promotes the loss of water and, therefore, moisture, for its correct preservation even in unrefrigerated environments. That was, in fact, the secret of their popularity among the Bedouin nomads, who had the animals from which milk was extracted, but did not have the means to refrigerate their food.
These yogurt balls are obtained after beating the milk and separating the fat, something that is traditionally done with containers made of goatskin, and then removing the butter. It is then heated for skimming, pressed to remove excess water, salted, given its typical shape and left to dry in the sun or shade for a day. If dried in the sun, they yellow, and if dried in the shade, they maintain their characteristic white color. In any case, it thus becomes a great source of protein, with an intense flavor, of strong roughness.
How Jameed Is Eaten in Jordan
Jameed, in Jordan, can be eaten on its own, accompanied simply by tea. In this way, it can be considered a snack food, healthy and very traditional, always available, as it can be stored anywhere or carried with you at all times.
Jameed, on the other hand, can also be included in other dishes. For example, as we indicated in this post, the mensaf (considered the national dish of Jordan) is dressed with this dry yogurt. Or in dishes that Jordan has in common with other countries, such as fatta or fatteh.
But the dish in which perhaps the jameed has the most presence is al rashoof. It is a white soup because this dry yogurt is used in the broth. The rest of the ingredients in this original soup are water, fried onion, green lentils and chicken concentrate, as well as bulgur, which we talk about in this other post. For a perfect presentation, the fried onion is added at the end and in the center of the bowl, and a drizzle of mint sauce is poured around it.
Although jameed is very characteristic of the south-central part of the country (Karak), al-rashoof is mainly cooked in the north of the country, such as in the city of As Salt. As it is a soup, it is widely consumed mainly in winter. In this season, you will have no problem finding this dish if you travel in the north, but you will surely also be able to taste it in the restaurants of the capital, Amman.
And if you want any suggestions about jameed or al-rashoof during your trip, do not hesitate to ask for advice from the staff of our agency who will accompany you, or indicate it as a request for one of your lunches or dinners.
By Syrinje – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19976884
