Khaberni - The season of the popular Jordanian dish known as Htheimeh has reached its peak, with its production increasing during the months of December (12), January (1), and February (2) each year.
The Htheimeh dish relies on colostrum, which is the milk produced by cows, sheep, or goats immediately after giving birth, and these months are the most active for livestock breeding in Jordan.
The livestock produce colostrum before birth and for about 4 to 5 days afterwards, which makes the Htheimeh dish rare and only associated with breeding seasons.
Preparation Method
The Htheimeh dish is known for its distinctive taste and smell, as well as its significant health benefits.
Htheimeh is prepared by boiling the colostrum on a gentle heat, then sprinkling with fine sugar or salt according to taste, and stirring until it is ready to eat.
Unlike other dairy products or yoghurt, Htheimeh is not drunk but eaten with spoons because it is not liquid and has a consistency closer to cheese.
Benefits of Htheimeh
According to Jordanian folk tradition, Htheimeh has numerous benefits, especially for the elderly, as it helps to strengthen blood and bones.
On their part, nutrition experts advise mothers to ensure they obtain the colostrum and consume Htheimeh as well as feed it to their children, due to its high nutritional value.
Htheimeh contains antibodies at a high concentration which helps in protecting the newborn from diseases and its protein content is much higher than in regular milk, while the levels of fat and sugars are lower, making it easier to digest, especially for newborns.
