Za’atar

The red half of the green blend. Remove it and it is thyme and sesame.

Slurried to a paste and swiped on dough. The fat is what makes it edible.

Baked in, not scattered on, so the sesame toasts with the crumb.

Strained curd, a pool of oil, a heavy scatter. Breakfast, nothing else needed.

Squeaky salt fat takes thymol; the sumac does the job of the missing lemon.

Fried, then dusted. Thymol cuts sulfur where pepper only sits on top.

Under the skin with lemon; the sesame toasts as the fat renders out.

Raw slices and a heavy scatter; the acid in the blend doubles the fruit.

Water, salt, herb dust. The whole point is that nothing gets cooked.

Thymol against lanolin, the same trick as rosemary but with acid attached.

Roasted until crisp, then tossed hot so the oil pulls the herb in.

Roast hard, dust while hot, and the oil drags the blend into the florets.

Creamy bean plus dry herb; the sumac is doing the work of a vinaigrette.

Salt on salt, so the sesame and the thyme have to carry the whole flavour.

Buttered corn takes it better than any commercial seasoning. The acid is why.

Feta, oil, blend. The thyme is what stops it from being a fruit salad.

Thymol against berry sugar, with the sumac carrying the whole idea.