A TO ZA’ATAR

Ziyad Ayass, owner of Lebanese street food pop-up Ka’ak Al Manara, sheds some light on the UAE’s most revered herb

01 Za’atar combines elements from the thyme, oregano

and basil families.

02 Za’atar is actually the name for a family of herbs that are native to the Middle East.

03 The apostrophe in za’atar substitutes the Arabic letter which has no English equivalent.

04 Most people eat za’atar in

a blend or paste form.

05 Sesame seeds, sumac and salt are usually added to za’atar to

create a dry spice blend.

06 Olive oil is often added to the spice blend to create a special za’atar paste, which is perfect

for bread and pastries.

07 Za’atar is often and inaccurately translated to English as thyme. It’s actually more like oregano.

08 Za’atar recipes

are closely guarded secrets,

and there are also substantial

regional variations.

09 Jordan, Palestine and Lebanon all lay claim to the ownership of za’atar but each culture adds special ingredients to make

theirs unique.

Follow the team on instagram via @Kaakalmanara or visit facebook.com/kaakalmanara. You can also find them at The Ripe

Market at Zabeel Park from November.