Jameed is the dried, fermented yogurt product traditionally used in Jordanian mansaf.
Jameed is made from sheep’s or goat’s milk. The yogurt is salted, strained, shaped into balls, and dried, producing a firm product that can be stored for long periods without refrigeration. Before cooking, it is reconstituted with water and blended into a smooth sauce.
Its best-known use is mansaf, Jordan’s national dish, in which lamb is cooked in a jameed-based sauce and served with rice or bulgur. Jameed gives the dish its distinctive salty, tangy flavor and creamy consistency.
Jameed is not the same as labneh: labneh is strained yogurt eaten fresh, while jameed is further salted and dried. Kashk is another dried fermented dairy product found across West and Central Asia, but its preparation and culinary traditions differ from those of jameed.