Za'atar

Thyme, sesame and sumac

Category
Basics
Cuisine
Middle Eastern
Serves
About 1 cup
Time
15 minutes
From
Phil Price

spice blendsumacsesamethyme

Both a herb and the blend named after it. Sumac gives the sourness, sesame the body, and the thyme should be a dried wild one if you can find it.

Made fresh it is green and fragrant; the dusty brown stuff in supermarket jars is usually old and heavy on the salt.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup dried thyme (or a mix of thyme, oregano and marjoram)
  • 1/4 cup sesame seeds
  • 3 tablespoons ground sumac
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)

Instructions

  1. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium heat, shaking constantly, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Cool completely.
  2. Rub the dried thyme between your palms over a bowl to break it down and wake it up.
  3. Combine the thyme, cooled sesame seeds, sumac, salt and cumin.
  4. Pulse briefly in a spice grinder if you want it finer, or leave it coarse.
  5. Store airtight.

Notes

  • Mix with olive oil to a loose paste and spread on flatbread before baking for man'oushe.
  • Also good on labneh, roast vegetables, or a fried egg.
  • Keeps 3 months; the sumac fades first.