Za'atar

Flavour and aroma

herbal, tangy, nutty, salty. Herbal, tangy, nutty, salty.

Heat

No heat

Forms

dried

How to use it

• use raw

  Mix 1 part za'atar with 2–3 parts olive oil into a paste and spread on dough before baking manakish, or dip bread straight into oil then za'atar.

• use raw

  Sprinkle over labneh, hummus, eggs, salads and roast vegetables after cooking.

• toast · Toasting technique

  If making your own, toast the sesame seeds separately until golden before mixing with the dried herbs, sumac and salt.

• Man'oushe flatbread
• Dipping bread with olive oil
• Sprinkled on labneh, eggs and hummus
• Roasted vegetables and chicken

Identifying good quality

A coarse green-brown mix flecked with red-purple sumac and pale sesame seeds. It should smell herbal and tangy. Very green, uniform blends may use dyed or bulked herbs; dark brown, dusty blends are old.

• Not to be confused with Dried thyme: Plain dried thyme lacks the sesame, sumac and salt; some Levantine labels translate za'atar herb as 'thyme'.

Origin and history

Origin: The Levant. 'Za'atar' names both a group of local wild herbs (chiefly Origanum syriacum) and the blend made from them.. Grown and used: Used across Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Jordan and Israel, with versions in Iraq and Turkey; now sold internationally..

The blend of dried za'atar herb (or thyme and oregano), sumac, toasted sesame and salt is an everyday Levantine seasoning, eaten with olive oil and bread for breakfast and baked onto manakish. Recipes vary by region and family: some add cumin, coriander or marjoram.

Commonly told; not firmly documented

In masalas, pastes and sauces

• Labneh with za'atar and olive oilSauce6 g per batch