Steenbergs Za’atar

Za’atar is a spice blend particularly popular in the Lebanon and Syria. Za’atar is great on flatbreads, so:

• brush a Lebanese flatbread
• pitta bread with olive oil, sprinkle over some za’atar and grill.

Delicious with chicken and in a whole host of dishes with the tangy-ness of the thyme and sumac, mixed with the nutty flavour of the sesame seeds. Try a pinch on top of cheese on toast or scrambled eggs.

Za’atar probably relates to a wild marjoram herb akin to lovage and Steenbergs version of zaatar contains a complex blend of herbs – thyme , oregano, marjoram and parsley -together with sumac , toasted sesame seeds and salt. Other spellings for this blend include Zaatar and Zatar.

As featured in Ottolenghi – the Cookbook – written by the Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi. This London based restaurant draws on numerous culinary traditions from Persia to California, focussing particularly on the Mediterranean.

There are now 4 of these restaurants in Islington, Belgravia, Kensington and Notting Hill. The book was kind enough to mention us in regard to buying sumac and za’atar. In the book, both of these are recommended as great garnishes for a plate of hummus or labneh – a type of Arab cheese. They also recommend them for salads and roasted meats.