National meal or tribal feasting dish? Jordan’s mansaf in cross-cultural perspective

Abstract

National discourses about mansaf, the most well-known dish in modern Jordan, tend to obscure its use in feasting. This study views mansaf as a “feasting food,” comparable to the dishes used in other societies and in earlier historical periods to recruit and reward allies, produce and reproduce differences in status or rank, and repay social debts. By placing mansaf in broad cross-cultural and historical contexts, this paper highlights features of mansaf that have not been dealt with explicitly elsewhere. The study also explores the local significance of mansaf in consolatory rituals and feasts. We argue that the members of a household and their guests assume socio-political roles while serving mansaf during feasting. They engage in forms of non-verbal communication that can only be deciphered by those who are familiar with this particular heritage food and its consumption. Thus, mansaf is used as a vehicle for transmitting non-verbal messages about reciprocity and alliance among households, extended families, and tribes.