Al-Mansaf is a crucial dish on festive occasions in Jordanian culture.
Throughout the Levant, this dish is popular. The dish is named after the term "large tray" or "large dish". Its preparation process and recipe changed dramatically between the 1940s and 1980s.
It is commonly associated with an agro-pastoral, meat-and-dairy-based lifestyle in which meat and dairy are readily available, evoking a deep sense of identity and social cohesion. It consists of large chunks of meat boiled in a yogurt sauce with spices, served with rice or bulgur over thin bread. In addition to discussing common concerns, telling stories, and singing, the preparation itself is a social event. Platters are layered with bread, rice, and meat and topped with fried, desiccated almonds. Cooking mansaf was traditionally done over a fire in one's courtyard before the 1970s. Due to the size of the cauldron, this dish had to be cooked outdoors. On a large copper platter, the cooked ingredients would be carried indoors once they were fully cooked.
In Jordan, Mansaf is actively involved in settling tribal disputes through peacemaking processes known as Atwa (truce) and Ja'ha (peace settlements). A shared mansaf is considered a symbol of reconciliation when conflicting tribes meet and their heads sacrifice sheep or goats for a shared meal. It is common for women to pass down recipes and related practices to their daughters and granddaughters (such as milking goats and sheep). It is also transmitted through culinary institutes and universities.
Many of the traditions associated with mansaf are still practiced today because it was originally popular among the Bedouins. In order to consume mansaf, people gather around a table while standing around the tray. During the eating of mansaf, only the right hand should be used while the left hand should be held behind the back. Three fingers are used to place the rice ball in the mouth after it has been formed by the hand. Blowing hot rice is frowned upon, no matter how hot it is. In addition to these traditional methods, spoons, and plates can also be used to eat them.
Mansaf's original recipe and preparation underwent many changes after the 1970s. Rather than using bread, rice was substituted, and copper platters were replaced with enamelware or aluminum platters decorated with floral designs. The changes were caused by technological advances, which allowed mansaf to be cooked indoors, in smaller quantities for a smaller group of people.
References
(https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/al-mansaf-in-jordan-a-festive-banquet-and-its-social-and-cultural-meanings-01849) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mansaf)