Ah Za'atar. I used to inhale it when we lived in Jerusalem - buying fresh hot sesame encrusted rolls off the street carts, and they would give us kids a small packet of the spice rolled in paper to dip the pieces into.

I just last week sprinkled some on leftover cold poached salmon and relived the memories. Try it on feta, or if you can find it, haloumi cheese.

Here is a link that might be useful: za'atar on one link

Great discovery! It is frequently used in Middle Eastern cooking. I love it too. It adds zip to anything you might use thyme in. I have never noticed a red color though. It looks more like dusty green with sesame seeds.

I'm using the za'atar that Alison sent in a swap sprinkled into my Israeli salad and onto pita bread brushed with olive oil before warming it on a grill or in the oven. I first had it mixed into olive oil and brushed onto flat bread which was then grilled.

Ah, that's another thing I did with it...I spread some good bread with some yogurt cheese I'd marinated in olive oil and herbs, and sprinkled the za'atar on top. Yum.

I have not tried haloumi cheese, jessy. However, I have recently made a few forays into Mediterranean cuisine and have come across recipes calling for it. Now all I have to do is find a source 'round here. I love cheese of every type and am always ready to try new cheeses.

I love Israeli salad as well, teresa, and very shortly, I will have cukes and tomatoes in my garden and will try it. Mmmmm.

I am another who loves the stuff. Love making Pita breads, brushing with melted butter before baking and sprinkling za'atar and seasoning salt on them. Love it on roasted asparagus or steamed green beans or broccoli as well.

Shelley

I like it best on chicken, but the Persian restaurants here always have powdered sumac on the table for you to sprinkle on the basmati rice that they serve with just about every meal.

Since you have sumac, try my Algerian Roasted Chicken recipe, which I adapted from a French Algerian chef here in L.A. who teaches at the California Culinary Academy (our branch of the Cordon Bleu). It's my brother's favorite recipe for grilling.

Lars

jessyf, we, too, used to live in J-town, and I agree with you about those sesame rolls (for some reason they call them "bagels") with za'atar. My kidz claimed the best ones were at Liberty Bell Park. Our favorite pizzeria sent a little packet along with the pizzas, too.

It is indeed a useful seasoning -- I use it in omelets, and it's GREAT on anything you're grilling.

There can be a bit of confusion, as the OP noted: there are different blends, and then there is just the plant za'atar (I guess it's sumac). We were cooking out in a park with friends one day, and someone found some growing right there, so we put it on the meat on the grill. MMMMMMM!

Ask someone who is going to Israel to bring you back a bottle of the herb blend -- it's cheap and easy to find in any food store. For that matter, I bet you can find it in a Mediterranean market here.

Thanks Lars...I copied it and put it in my "To Try" file. I'll give it a try next time I decide to pop a chicken in the rotisserie. We love our rotisserie chickens, and I'm always looking for different seasonings to use on them.

Actually, the herb za'atar is a variety of marjoram,
M. syriaca,also called hyssop. Sumac is a different plant. Looking it up, I found a website that sells the seed if you miss it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Marjorana syriaca

Tyler Florence used in on pitas on hi program today:

Baba Ghanoush with Warm Pita
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence
See this recipe on air Sunday Jun. 22 at 8:30 AM ET/PT.
Show: Tyler's Ultimate
Episode: Ultimate Lamb Chops
Baba Ghanoush with Warm Pita
4 baby Italian eggplants (about 1 pound total), scored
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon tahini paste
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Handful cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

Pita Crisps:
8 large pita rounds, cut into strips
2 tablespoons za'atar dry spice
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt

Split the eggplants in half through the stem and score sides. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Grill eggplants on a very hot grill pan until skins are wrinkled and black and flesh side is nicely charred.

When the eggplants are cool enough to handle, cut off tops.

In a food processor, combine eggplant, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, cumin, and cilantro and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in the olive oil and pulse again to incorporate. Taste and adjust seasoning, as needed. Pour into a serving bowl and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and some roughly chopped cilantro. Serve with pita strips for dipping.

To make pita strips.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Put the pita wedges in a large mixing bowl. Combine za'atar spice mix and extra-virgin olive oil and drizzle over wedges. Season with salt and toss to coat evenly. Lay out pita wedges on a roasting tray and bake in the hot oven for 10 to 15 minutes until warmed through. If you prefer a crispier pita bake for a further 5 to 7 minutes. Serve warm with baba ghanoush.

You can get zatar from Pensey. I bought some & love it.

I adore this on pita and hummus. And I tired Mimsic's suggestion of having it on feta. I may now be re-addicted in the best way. :)

I buy it from The Spice House when I cannot find the large bags of Zayid brand in the markets (which, around here, means I order it from The Spice Hosue!) Delicious on all kinds of fish, too.

I have seen it listed as "green" and "red". Not sure what the difference is. Most I've bought has had flecks of red that I just assumed was the sumac.

Here is a link that might be useful: za'tar online