Kitchen-made Za’atar at Home

There’s a dozen or so ways you can prepare za’atar. There is the oh-so-convenient way via spice grinder. Or you could get an upper arm workout on your 18-ton mortar and pestle. And by 18-ton I truly mean 8 pounds. It all feels the same.

This Middle Eastern spice blend tastes standout in and on simply about anything. If you haven’t tried it yet, what are you waiting for? One of my regular ways to use za’atar is to mix it with olive oil and toss pita chips in simply before baking, on top of hummus, tossed with veggies or use it to marinate chicken pieces and roast or grill until tender, juicy perfection. You get the drift. Google-search it and you’ll no doubt find a plethora of ways… or you could simply wait and check back to this here blog in a few days.

Two Make This Kitchen-made Za’atar Gather:

• dried thyme
• flaked sea salt
• ground sumac berries (dried)
• and sesame seeds

I’ve also seen herbs like oregano and savory used as well. But we’re sticking to the basics, man.

There’s no right or wrong brand. I will first say, buy what you can afford. However, not all spices are created equal as you tend to get what you pay for. Currently I use Morton & Bassett (not sponsored) because I find their spices to be top notch in texture, color and flavor. A regular here and respect what their company stands for not only with charitable work but also quality control. With that said some other welcome brands I’ve used over the years are Simple Organic, Frontier Co-op and Penzys.

Place the 2 tablespoons dried thyme and 1 teaspoon flaked sea salt into your mortar. I found mine at HomeGoods for 12 bucks and I’ve had it for years!

Use the pestle, smashing and grinding the salt into the thyme until it’s nearly dust.

Next add the ground thyme and salt in a jar with 2 tablespoons sumac and 1-1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds. I purchased my sumac at Penzy’s but it also can be found in specialty markets and online.

Finally stir to combine. That’s it!

I store this in an air-tight container for a couple of months at least. Glass is dependable and I use squatty jars with a tight fitting lid for all of my kitchen-made spice blends.

What are your go-to ways to use za’atar? This inquiring mind wants to know!

For More From-scratch Seasonings and Spice Blends Click Here!

Enjoy! And if you give this Kitchen-made Za’atar recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!