MOUEEL
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spicethyme · sesame · tart · herbal · toasty

Za'atar

Thyme, sumac, sesame, salt, and a hundred family arguments about the ratio. Never just one herb.

on its own
2.0sour
0.0sweet
3.0savoury
2.0bitter
1.0umami
order · canon first

1 of these 17 are wild — theory says yes, nobody has cooked them. why →

17 pairings for Za'atar.

Sumac

classic

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

Bread

classic

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

Halloumi

common

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

Egg

common

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

Chicken

common

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

Tomato

common

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

Cucumber

common

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

Lamb

common

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

Chickpea

common

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

Cauliflower

uncommon

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.

Feta

uncommon

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.