Jordan recognizes mansaf as its national dish.
Mansaf consists of lamb cooked in a fermented dried yogurt sauce called jameed and served with rice or bulgur. It is traditionally presented on a large platter, often over thin flatbread, and garnished with almonds or pine nuts.
The dish is closely linked to Jordanian Bedouin traditions and is especially important at weddings, festivals and other communal gatherings. Sharing it expresses hospitality and social connection, rather than simply providing an individual meal.
Mansaf is sometimes confused with ordinary lamb-and-rice dishes from the region. Its defining feature is jameed, whose concentrated, tangy flavor distinguishes mansaf from preparations using fresh yogurt or broth alone.