What is Levantine zaatar?
Zaatar is a blend of dried, ground wild thyme leaves with sumac, toasted sesame and salt, and it has been the first dip on the breakfast table in Palestine, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan for hundreds of years. Levantine wild thyme (Origanum syriacum) is a mountain herb of the mint family, known locally as zaatar or saatar; its leaves are picked in spring and dried in the shade. Zaatar is eaten with bread and olive oil in the morning, baked onto manakish dough, folded into kaak and pastries, and travelled to Egypt with Levantine communities until it became a staple of every spice shop, while in Iraq and the Gulf it is served on hot bread with cheese. Every Levantine country is proud of its own zaatar, and the differences in proportions and ingredients are real.
Composition and the role of each ingredient
Ground thyme is the base and usually makes up half or more of the blend, providing the herbal aroma and slightly pungent taste that come from volatile oils such as carvacrol and thymol. Sumac adds acidity and red colour, toasted sesame gives richness and crunch, and salt balances and preserves. In Palestine the share of sumac is higher, toasted coriander and cumin are sometimes added, and the blend is sold coarse with whole sesame seeds. In Syria fennel seed is added, sometimes with crushed pistachio and sunflower seeds. Jordanian zaatar stands out for its dense sesame, slightly higher salt and whole thyme leaves. Lebanese zaatar is fine, higher in thyme and lighter in sumac, and may include marjoram.
| Variant | Character | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| Authentic Palestinian Zaatar | Sumac-forward with clear acidity; coarse | Dipping with oil, zaatar with white cheese |
| Syrian Zaatar | Fennel and seeds; richer and more complex | Manakish, zaatar kaak, pastries |
| Jordanian Zaatar with Sesame | Dense crunchy sesame; salted | Zaatar in oil, breakfast with bread |
| Lebanese Zaatar | Fine, herbal, lighter sumac | Beirut manakish, salads, chicken seasoning |
How to recognise good zaatar
Good zaatar is grey-green to olive, not bright green; an unnaturally vivid colour is a sign of dye or of green leaves added for colouring. The aroma should be strongly herbal and penetrating, and the taste sour and pungent from the sumac. The biggest problem in the market is adulteration with pistachio shells, ground wheat or citric acid in place of sumac, or raising salt to a quarter of the weight, so read the label: the Palestinian, Jordanian and Syrian standards for mixed zaatar require the ingredients and proportions to be declared, generally set maximum limits for salt, moisture (about 10 percent) and ash, and prohibit artificial colours. Excellent zaatar is ground from a single season's leaves and mixed with freshly toasted sesame, and the dried leaves typically contain at least 1 percent volatile oil.
How to use it
- For manakish, prepare a soft bread dough and let it rise for an hour.
- Mix a cup of zaatar with three-quarters of a cup of olive oil to a spreadable paste (about 80 g of zaatar per kilo of dough).
- Roll the dough into discs half a centimetre thick and spread the zaatar mixture generously.
- Bake in a very hot oven (250 °C) for 7 to 10 minutes until the edges brown.
Other uses: dip bread in oil and then in zaatar, sprinkle over labneh, cheese and eggs, or season chicken and fish before grilling with two tablespoons per kilo.
Storage and shelf life
Keep zaatar in an airtight container away from light and heat, preferably in the refrigerator in summer because toasted sesame can turn rancid. It keeps its best flavour for 6 to 9 months from blending, and zaatar mixed with oil should be used within two weeks of preparation.
The Sheikh Al-Attareen range
- Authentic Palestinian Zaatar
- Syrian Zaatar
- Jordanian Zaatar with Sesame
- Lebanese Zaatar
We import dried wild thyme and sumac from Levantine farms and test them in our Mansoura factory laboratory for moisture, ash, added colours and extraneous matter, then toast the sesame and blend according to recipes developed with spice merchants from Nablus, Aleppo, Amman and Beirut. The zaatar range is available in our Egyptian stores, our Baghdad, Erbil and Homs branches and through our online shop.
FAQ
What is the difference between zaatar and oregano?
Levantine zaatar (Origanum syriacum) is botanically close to oregano and marjoram but stronger and more pungent, while European thyme (Thymus) is a different genus.
Why is Palestinian zaatar more sour?
Because it contains a higher share of sumac, which is the hallmark of the Nablus and Hebron styles.
Does zaatar contain a lot of salt?
Good zaatar contains moderate salt, roughly no more than a tenth of the weight; the salt content of our products is stated on the label.
Can I mix zaatar with olive oil and keep it?
Yes, for up to two weeks in the refrigerator; do not keep it longer because the moisture can cause mould.