za'atar

Za'atar (Arabic: زَعْتَر‎, IPA: [ˈzaʕtar]) is a culinary herb or family of herbs. It is also the name of a spice mixture that includes the herb along with toasted sesame seeds, dried sumac, often salt, as well as other spices. As a family of related Middle Eastern herbs, it contains plants from the genera Origanum (oregano), Calamintha (basil thyme), Thymus (typically Thymus vulgaris, i.e., thyme), and Satureja (savory) plants. The name za'atar alone most properly applies to Origanum syriacum, considered in biblical scholarship to be the hyssop (Hebrew: אזוב‎ [eˈzov]) of the Hebrew Bible. Used in Levantine cuisine, both the herb and spice mixture are popular throughout the Mediterranean region of the Middle East.

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  1. Mountain Cat

    Recipe Bell Peppers Stuffed with Lamb, Cabbage, Onion, Za'atar, Topped with Labne

    I aim for a Middle Eastern taste profile here. The lamb came from a local farmer. Labne is a Middle-Eastern / Persian dairy product very similar to yogurt (it has cultures, and probably listens to Mozart when it can). I find this at a Persian market in the Connecticut River valley. It...
  2. Mountain Cat

    Recipe Appetizer: Soft Shelled Crab & Ramps, with Za'atar Seasoning

    But, what about ramps? Ramps (Allium tricoccum) are native to eastern North America, and as the genus name, Allium, indicates, they are in the onion family. They have a unique but onion-related taste of their own. While not as stringent as some onions, there is a distinct "earthy" taste...
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