Mansef

"The only thing Jordanians care about is mansef" - my teacher Mohammed

Mansef is the national dish here and it has become my favorite meal whenever we go out to eat. What is mansef you ask? Well, if you were to be served mansef at someone's home, they would bring out a small coffee table sized platter covered with a five inch layer of flavored rice and pie nuts. Then on top of the rice you'd see pieces of a lamb and possibly the lamb head sitting in the middle of the rice mound. On top of that they pour a yogurt like sauce.

Then you and your hosts would sit Indian style in a circle around this delicious feast and eat it using only your right hand. You don't talk unless you want to risk letting someone eat part of your share of rice and lamb meat while you're flapping your gums. You know someone's finished when you see them lying immobilized on their back. Unfortunately I've only eaten it like this once about five years ago in Irbid and yes it was very messy, but yummy none the less. We were invited by a random taxi driver to go eat mansef at his home not too long ago, but Melanie was not crazy about the idea of going to eat dinner at a random stranger's home. I can't say I blame her, but I must admit I was very sad to turn down an invitation to eat mansef. I took his phone number in case Melanie changed her mind, but no dice.

Luckily, Al Quds restaurant serves excellent single portion sized mansef and I try talking Melanie into going there every chance I get. I tried and failed earlier today, but I'll give it another shot tomorrow.