Global zaatar

"The Syrians are far more imaginative with za’tar – a fact which Jamil and his wife found intriguing. They did not know about the Syrian blends and, to tell the truth, neither did I. It was not until I went to Arjaoui, the best za’tar merchant in Souk el-B’zuriyeh in Damascus, that I found out there was more than one Syrian blend. Up to that point I was familiar only with the classic mixture, known as red za’tar, where fennel and anise seeds, coriander, cumin, roasted chickpeas, black sunflower seeds and sometimes roasted pistachios are added to the classic Lebanese mix of thyme, sumac and/or sesame seeds". Anissa Helou's article on Zaatar in the Financial Thyme.