PARIS: UNESCO has included mansaf, the national dish of Jordan, on its list of intangible cultural heritage.
A file was submitted to the organization, “Mansaf in Jordan: A Ceremonial Feast and Its Social and Cultural Connotations,” in March 2021, in a bid to include the dish on the list, the Jordan News Agency reported.
Makram Qaisi, Jordan’s permanent representative to UNESCO, said that the addition was announced during the 17th session of the intergovernmental committee for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage, being held in Rabat, Morocco, from Nov. 27 to Dec. 3.
Mansaf plays a central role in Jordan’s sense of identity and is linked to the country’s lifestyle, in which meat and dairy are abundant.
Qaisi praised the efforts of the Jordanian public and private institutions, in collaboration with the permanent delegation to UNESCO, for helping to obtain recognition for the dish.
Other additions such as the oud, Khawlani coffee, and holy festivals, from Saudi Arabia, Oman, the UAE, and Egypt, have also been added to the UNESCO list in 2022.
