| Jameed | |
| Country: | Middle East (especially Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, Syria and Jordan) |
| Creator: | Middle Easterners |
| Main Ingredient: | Yogurt, salt |
Jameed (Arabic: جميد, literally "hardened") is a Middle Eastern food consisting of hard, dry yogurt made from ewe or goat's milk.[1] Milk is kept in a fine-woven cheesecloth to make a thick yogurt. Salt is added daily to thicken the yogurt even more and the outside of the yogurt-filled cheesecloth is rinsed with water to allow any remaining whey to seep through. After a few days of salting the yogurt, it becomes very dense and can be removed from the cheesecloth and shaped into round balls. It is then set to dry for a few days. If it is dried in the sun it becomes yellow; if it is dried in the shade it remains white. It is important that the Jameed is dry to the core because any dampness can spoil the preservation process. Jameed is the primary ingredient used to make Mansaf, the national dish of Jordan.
It is a well-known way of preserving dairy amongst rural people in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, southern Syria and southern Iraq. Traditionally, Bedouins supplied Jordanian markets with Jameed and other sheep and goat dairy products. Jameed is used in Jordanian dishes such as Fatta, Mahashi and Mansaf, the latter also being the national dish of Jordan. Karak, Jordan is famous for its high-quality Jameed.[2] It is used in other Jordanian dishes, especially around Karak.[3]
Traditionally, Jameed was made in late spring and early summer when sheep's milk is most plentiful. The first step was shaking the yogurt in a leather bag made from sheep or goat leather to separate the butter. The leftover buttermilk was then reduced by boiling until it reached a consistency similar to Strained Yogurt. It could then be salted, shaped into balls, and sun-dried. The dried balls could be preserved for months in sealed boxes without refrigeration as they were very low in moisture. Nowadays, people consume Jameed for its flavour rather than lack of refrigeration.[4]
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