Ways to use Za'atar (Thyme seasoning)

"Za'atar," as I learned in the fall, is the Arabic word for "thyme," but it denotes a specific kind of wild thyme found in the general region of Palestine, perhaps Lebanon and Jordan. It's dried and mixed with salt and something else, and Palestinian mamas have their own secret recipes for it. The Israelis claim that it is endangered due to overharvesting and have banned its import/export from the West Bank; the Palestinians, however, argue that they have thousands of years of experience in sustaining its growth and harvesting carefully. Needless to say, this green stuff has become a political issue of its own. (And it's not the only food item that serves as a microcosm of Israel's conflicts with its neighbors; Israel and Lebanon bitterly compete over who produces the best hummus. Here's a little background to the controversy.)

Anyway, luckily this green stuff CAN be found in Berlin, and hopefully at Middle Eastern stores in North America as well. Here's how to use it:

A. Dip some flatbread into olive oil. Drag the bread over the Za'atar. Put in mouth.

B. Drizzle olive oil over some flatbread. Top with Za'atar. Put in the over for 5 minutes. Put in mouth! (Goes fabulously with freshly made "tahini," "tahina" in Arabic or "t'hina" in Hebrew, that has lemon juice and cilantro in it.)

C. Drizzle olive oil over fresh soft white cheese--"labneh" (Arabic) or Greek yogurt--and sprinkle Za'atar over it. Eat with bread.