Za'atar
Spice
Top 10 pairings
Za'atar is a Levantine seasoning blend built from dried wild thyme or oregano, tangy crimson sumac, toasted sesame seeds and salt. Herbal, nutty, tart and savoury all at once, it is the everyday condiment of the eastern Mediterranean — stirred into olive oil and swiped onto warm flatbread, dusted over labneh and hummus, and rubbed onto roast chicken and vegetables.
Picking a good onedrag
Just mixed, oily and loudly herbalFaded and dusty, smells of nothing
Sealed and fragrantEveryday jarStill the jar you want. Keep it airtight, dark and off the stove-top, and rub a pinch before each use to check it still speaks.
Crush and smellClearly herbal and tart, though you rub a pinch warm to raise it
Rub a pinchSlightly damp, soft lumps that break to nothing under a fingertip
Grain and grindFiner, but you can still pick out seed, leaf flake and sumac in it
The labelA short list in that order, salt a little higher, a spice or two added