Mystery Ingredient: Jameed

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 21/03/2009 (6138 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

What is it: A pungent dairy product, made from goat or sheep milk, that straddles the line between yogurt and cheese. Rather than the giant wheels created by cheesemakers in Europe, artisans in the Middle East produced small lumps of jameed. To make this dried yogurt, the milk is hung in finely woven cheesecloth to produce a thick yogurt. Salt (and sometimes herbs) is added daily and the cloth is repeatedly twisted to squeeze out any moisture. After a few days, the yogurt becomes very dense and can be shaped into balls. 

Looks like:

 

Petrified Timbits. Or chalky stones. If dried in the sun, jameed takes on a yellowish hue; left in the shade, it remains milky white.

Tastes like:

 

An extremely intense and salty feta with an almost feral smell — reminiscent of the animal whence it came, perhaps.

Used in:

 

Jameed is an essential ingredient in mansaf, the national dish of Jordan. It consists of lamb chunks cooked in a broth made of jameed and served on a bed of rice and flatbread garnished with almonds and pine nuts. The jameed must be churned for hours and soaked in vegetable oil until they soften into a smooth sauce. But there is now a liquid version to speed up meal preparation.

Mansaf is served on special occasions such as weddings and births, or to honour a guest, and traditionally eaten collectively from a large platter, using the right hand instead of utensils.

Found at:

 

Halal Meats & Specialty Foods, 206 Maryland St.