zaatar

[ zah-ah-tahr, zah-tahr ]

noun

1. any of several related Mediterranean herbs, as wild marjoram or thyme.
2. Middle Eastern Cooking. a preparation of herbs and spices, typically including sumac, oregano, thyme, savory, and sesame seeds.

Word History and Origins

Origin of zaatar¹

From Arabic

Example Sentences

Abu Saber opened his shop five years ago, selling frisbee-sized discs of taboon bread adorned with red pepper paste, cheese or zaatar.

From Los Angeles Times

A less common variant, zaatar, is now in the Scrabble dictionary.

From Seattle Times

Add any toppings — cinnamon and sugar, fenugreek and zaatar are all options.

From New York Times

"Then I started buying readymade bell peppers. And then, making pita chips is something we do a lot when we have leftover bread, with olive oil and zaatar."

From Salon

Last January, he petitioned for legislative changes to the designation of akoub, zaatar, and wild sage, arguing that wild foods represent a cultural birthright for Palestinians.

From Salon