I Like This Za’atar
Better Than My
Teta’s (Sorry, Teta!)
Growing up as a first-generation Middle Eastern American, my grandparents drilled into me a few lessons: (1) you must be smart, (2) you must be smart enough to become a doctor, and (3) za’atar makes you smarter. To my Teta and Baba, the logical flow of these arguments would inevitably help me succeed in life, but to me it seemed like little more than a ploy to get me to eat the zayt ou za’atar on the breakfast table (and then go to medical school). Although za’atar is such a staple in Arab regions that it’s practically considered a food group, I seldom touched the dry herb mix my Teta made at home; even when doused in olive oil I could not help but feel like I was eating stale grass.
Fast-forward to college in D.C., where I avoided both science courses and za’atar—against my Teta and Baba’s wishes. That is, until I found Z&Z za’atar at a local farmers market. The brand’s particular blend of wild thyme, sumac, and sesame seeds was completely unlike the dry herb mix I ate throughout childhood. It was earthier, tangier, and nuttier—thanks to the freshness of each ingredient and the touch of sunflower oil, which seemed to preserve and enhance the flavor of the herbs and seeds. Compared to my Teta’s, which had a chalky mouthfeel and single-note flavor profile, Z&Z’s za’atar has a complexity and body I never knew a herb mix could have.