





Where to use zathar
Explore these delicate
Lebanese flavours
This Lebanese mix of
spices will transport you out of time and far from civilisation. Check out
our hummus recipe with zathar!
How to get the best
from your zathar
Our recipe ideas for
zathar:
·
Zathar and preserved lemon chicken: marinate your chicken with a teaspoon
of zathar mixed with lemon juice and olive oil;
·
Goat’s cheese and zathar rolls: sprinkle 2 teaspoons of zathar onto a
sheet of puff pastry with goat’s cheese;
·
Lebanese labneh: make your very own labneh cheese then splash over
with olive oil and zathar – the perfect Lebanese breakfast;
·
Zathar infused oil: add 50g of zathar to 1 litre of olive oil and leave
to infuse for 15 days;
·
Kefta skewers with zathar: marinate your beef with 1 teaspoon of zathar;
·
Preserved lemon and zathar vinaigrette: mix the flesh from the
preserved lemons with olive oil, honey, cider vinegar, and 1 teaspoon of zathar;
·
Courgette, feta and zathar savoury cake: add 1 tablespoon of zathar to
your cake mixture.
Lebanese hummus with zathar
Ingredients
500g tinned
chickpeas;
50g lemon juice;
30g olive oil;
2 cloves of garlic;
2 tablespoons of
tahini;
1 teaspoon zathar;
1 teaspoon paprika;
2 pinches salt;
2 pinches Timur
berries.
Method
Place the chickpeas,
lemon juice, garlic, tahini, spices, salt and Timur berries in a food
processor and blend until the mix forms a thick paste. Serve in a bowl and sprinkle
with a a pinch of paprika and a dash of olive oil. Serve with pre-dinner
drinks with Lebanese bread.
The much sought after Middle Eastern spice mix
Its acidic, aromatic and slightly
savoury flavour will enchant all your white meat and poultry and its lemony
warmth will enchant your fish. Use it in cooking, in marinades or simply
sprinkled over your dishes just before serving. A true Middle Eastern
delight!
The ever famous zathar
Zathar or zaathar, is
a much sought-after spice mix in Lebanon and Syria and indeed all throughout the
Mediterranean.
It is made from 3 typical
Middle Eastern ingredients, sesame, thyme and sumac. Every Lebanese household
has a bowl of zathar and another of olive oil on hand at all times, dipping
their bread in each before enjoying this tangy mix. Why not try the same for
a super-easy way to accompany your pre-donner drinks.
The word “zaʿtar” literally
means “thyme” in Arabic, so that’s why it’s also sometimes called “Alep thyme”.
This is also the generic term for plants in the Lamiaceae family (thyme, hyssop,
savory, wild thyme, oregano, marjoram, pennyroyal).
In North Africa,
zaatar includes a variety of oregano (Origanum syriacum and Origanum vulgare).
It also includes
hyssop in Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan.
This is also the
word used for the Lebanese spice mix which is widely used in Middle Eastern
cuisine.
Where
does zathar come from?
The story behind
zathar, the Lebanese spice mix
Zathar (or zaatar) is
a mix of spices from Byblos in Lebanon, one of the oldest towns in the world,
which was founded in 5000 B.C.. In the 3rd century B.C. this port
traded cedar wood for shipbuilding, resin for mummification, wine and papyrus
with Egypt.
The Phoenician city was
a key economic, political and cultural hub. It was Alexander the Great who
changed the Semitic name “Gebal” to “Byblos” derived from the Greek word “biblion”
which means mother city of writing, because of the papyrus that was exported from
Byblos. In fact, the Bible is named after Byblos.
This region is the birthplace
of the three major monotheistic religions, the crossroads of humanity. Despite
the tragic religious and territorial conflict which separates Jews and
Muslims, in fact they have so very much in common: the language – certain words
are virtually identical–food, falafels, zathar, hummus, sumac, their cooperative
spirit, their explosive yet calm personalities, and chatty taxi drivers to
name but a few…
Nowadays, every
Lebanese household has its very own stash of zathar.
Native country | FRANCE |
---|---|
Ingredients | sumac, white SESAME, gold SESAME, thyme, salt (14%) |
Possible traces of MUSTARD, CELERY. | |
Allergen | Sésame / Sesame. Traces éventuelles de moutarde, céleri |
TRACES EVENTUELLES D'ALLERGÈNES | céleri, sésame, moutarde, fruits à coques. |