The endless ways to use zaatar—even in ‘upma’
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. In many Indian homes, children are given a spoon of curd and sugar before they leave home for the exams, symbolising good wishes and an auspicious start. I was fascinated to know that there’s a similar practice in Middle Eastern cultures, where children are given zaatar before exams, which is believed to boost brain power and cognitive performance.
Whether you believe in the connection between zaatar and exam performance or not, this undeniably ranks as one of the most flavourful, aromatic condiments, with endless culinary uses. Just as no Indian kitchen shelf is complete without cumin and coriander, zaatar and sumac are the mainstay of all Middle Eastern kitchens. Each region has slight variations in the ingredients and proportions used.
The main ingredient is a mountain thyme, also called the zaatar leaf. This is dried and combined with dried marjoram, toasted white sesame seeds, sumac, oregano and salt. Some recipes use cumin and coriander powder as well.
Versions with dried pomegranate have a tangy flavour. My introduction to zaatar happened when my husband returned from a Dubai souk with cardamom-flavoured coffee (did not like this), camel milk soaps, dried rose petals and a large bag of intensely aromatic, herby-nutty powder which I came to know is zaatar. My early experiments with this spice blend were salads, flatbreads and mezze.
All these experiments came in useful during my trip to Jordan in 2015 when the chef of the hotel we were staying in asked me to cook an Indo-Jordanian fusion dish for breakfast. As outlandish as it may sound, upma made using local fine bulgar, olive oil, zaatar and sumac turned out to be delicious. All Jordanian breakfast spreads had balls of labneh
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