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Za'atar

Also known as zaatar, zahtar, za`tar, zatar

Quick answer

A Levantine blend of dried wild thyme or oregano, toasted sesame seeds and sumac, with salt. The word also names the herb itself, which is a recurring source of confusion in English-language recipes.

In essentially every version: Za'atar herb (wild thyme/oregano), Sumac, Toasted sesame seeds, Salt.

2distinct versions are recorded below. None of them is presented as the correct one, because there isn’t one.

What goes in it

The defining core first, then the versions. Roles are recorded so it is clear what each ingredient is doing.

Ingredients common across versions
IngredientRoleHow essential
Za'atar herbThe defining component. Where the wild herb is unavailable, dried thyme, oregano or a mixture is substituted, which changes the result appreciably.basedefining
Sumac (ground)Supplies the sour, fruity acidity that distinguishes za'atar from a plain herb mix.sourdefining
Sesame seedToasted, for nuttiness and texture.supporting aromaticdefining
Saltsaltusual
Why versions differ:

Za'atar varies regionally and by family. Palestinian versions are often heavier on the herb and sumac; some Lebanese versions include more sesame and a proportion of ground wheat or chickpea as a bulking agent. Aleppan and Syrian versions may include additional spices such as cumin, coriander or aniseed. Commercial blends vary widely in the ratio of herb to bulking agent, and cheaper ones can contain very little actual herb. There is also a genuine sensitivity around the blend: za'atar is closely tied to Palestinian identity in particular, and describing it as generically "Middle Eastern" flattens that.

Strong evidenceSources: Established culinary practice

The versions

Each attributed, with how firm its proportions are stated plainly.

Palestinian style

regional traditional

Palestinian household practice · proportions representative · medium confidence

Herb-forward with generous sumac, and typically no bulking agent.

Proportions for Palestinian style
IngredientPartsShare
Dried za'atar herb446%
Sumac223%
Toasted sesame seeds223%
Salt0.5–19%
Sources: Established culinary practiceScale this version

Lebanese style, sesame-forward

regional traditional

Common Lebanese practice · proportions representative · low confidence

A higher proportion of sesame, sometimes with a little ground wheat, giving a milder and nuttier mix.

Proportions for Lebanese style, sesame-forward
IngredientPartsShare
Dried za'atar herb334%
Toasted sesame seeds334%
Sumac223%
Salt0.5–19%

Recorded at low confidence; the style is well attested but SpiceHQ does not yet hold a documented source for these proportions.

Sources: Established culinary practiceScale this version

Using it

Mixed with olive oil into a paste and spread on dough before baking, sprinkled over labneh or yoghurt, or scattered on roast vegetables and grilled meat. It is generally used raw or lightly baked rather than fried, since the herb and sesame scorch readily.

Traditional practiceA consistent pattern of use across the Levantine traditions.
Flavour:

Herbaceous and savoury, with a distinct sour edge from the sumac and a toasted nuttiness from the sesame. The sourness is what makes it za'atar rather than a herb mix, and is the element people most often under-supply when improvising.

Strong evidenceSources: Established culinary practice
Heat:

No heat.

Culinary conventionNone of the defining components is pungent.
Suits:
  • Flatbread with olive oil (manakish)
  • Labneh and yoghurt
  • Roast vegetables
  • Grilled chicken and lamb
  • Eggs
  • Olive oil for dipping
Culinary conventionThe applications in which the blend is traditionally and most commonly used.

Scaling: Scales linearly. Toast the sesame separately and let it cool before mixing, or the residual heat drives off the herb's aroma. Sumac is hygroscopic and will clump the mix if it is stored damp.

If you have none

Sumac with Sesame seed and Thyme

Good match

Use: ~1× by volume — Roughly equal parts sumac, toasted sesame and dried thyme, at the same total volume. Toast the sesame — untoasted sesame contributes almost nothing.

This is close to making the blend rather than substituting for it, which is the honest answer for za’atar. The one thing it cannot reproduce is the herb: real za’atar uses Origanum syriacum, which is not the same plant as either thyme or oregano and is genuinely different. Dried thyme is the standard stand-in and it is a good one.

How the replacement compares on each sensory axis
FlavourAromaColourHeat
closecloseclosen/a

Works for

  • Za’atar bread, labneh, flatbreads and dips
  • Sprinkling over roast vegetables, eggs and grilled meat

Does not work for

  • Anywhere the specific herb is the point — a Levantine cook will taste the difference
  • Blends bought for their salt content, since this has none

Cuisine: Stays Levantine. The substitution changes the herb rather than the cuisine, which is the least disruptive kind of blend swap available.

Sources: Established culinary practice

Commercial za’atar varies enormously, and some cheaper blends are already mostly thyme and salt. It is worth tasting what you have before deciding the homemade version is a compromise.

Cumin with Sesame seed and Coriander seed

Situational

Use: ~1× by volume — Roughly two parts toasted sesame to one part cumin and one part coriander seed, coarsely crushed.

Not an imitation of za'atar but a replacement for its job. This is dukkah territory — a dry, nutty, crushed seed mixture for dipping bread in oil or scattering over vegetables — and it keeps the texture and the toasted character while losing the sourness entirely.

How the replacement compares on each sensory axis
FlavourAromaColourHeat
differentpartialpartialn/a

Works for

  • Bread and oil, roast vegetables, eggs — anywhere the texture was the point
  • A cupboard with no sumac, which is the case that makes the proper reconstruction impossible

Does not work for

  • Anywhere the sourness is what was wanted, which is most za'atar uses
  • Man'oushe, which is a specific bread with a specific topping

Cuisine: Stays in the eastern Mediterranean and moves from the Levant towards Egypt. A different regional answer to the same question rather than a failed copy.

Sources: Established culinary practice

Storage

Good for: 3–9 months (typically 6 months)

Conditions:

Cool, dark, dry and airtight.

Culinary conventionThe sesame contains oil that will go rancid, so this blend has a genuine keeping limit beyond simple aroma loss.

A rancid smell from the sesame is a quality problem rather than a safety one, but it is unpleasant enough to warrant discarding the blend. Za'atar is one of the few spice blends with a real fat-oxidation limit.

Allergens and safety

Allergens:
  • Contains sesame, which is a declared allergen in the UK, EU, US and many other jurisdictions. Some commercial blends also contain wheat as a bulking agent.
Strong evidenceSources: Codex Alimentarius standards for spices and…

Culture and origin

Origin:

The Levant, with distinct Palestinian, Lebanese, Syrian and Jordanian traditions. The name refers both to the blend and to the wild herb at its heart, a plant of the Origanum and Thymbra genera native to the region.

Strong evidenceSources: Established culinary practice

Palestine

Za'atar is a daily staple and carries substantial cultural weight, closely bound up with land, foraging of the wild herb, and identity. It is not merely a seasoning in this context.

Traditional practiceWidely and consistently documented; recording it matters because a purely culinary description would misrepresent what the blend means.

Lebanon and Syria

Central to breakfast and to manakish, with regional variations in the sesame and sumac proportions and in the additional spices used.

Traditional practiceA well-attested regional tradition distinct from the Palestinian one.

Questions this page answers

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