Savor the Za'atar

What is this mysterious ingredient that Michael Symon and other Iron Chefs are talking about when they refer to Za'atar.  I am usually watching the foodie shows in the evening and the question soon fades away only to resurface another evening when a Mediterranean dish is being prepared. By happenstance I recently attended a plant sale and spied an herb marked "Za'atar".  Ok, finally I am to find out what the fuss is about with this herb.  The plant is labelled Satureja thymbra aka 'Pink Savory Za'atar' of the Laminaceae (mint family) a perennial that grows to 12 " likes sun, is a mid-Eastern spice with the delicious flavor of oregano, thyme and mint and the plant prefers hot dry areas.  Great, I have just the garden space in my new perennial garden.  Almost alright, I next go to Google to corroborate this new information.  I find confusion with my results, is Za'atar an herb as mine was labelled, or is it a spice mixture similar to a curry mixture?

I find that Za'atar has references both as a spice mixture and an herb.  The herb Origanium syriacum appears to be the true za'atar with hyssop, Satureja thymbra, the genus of tender, thyme-like plants (Thymbra spicata, t. capitatus) also referred to as Za'atar. The common denominator with these plants is the aroma of oregano from the chemical carvacrol.. The Za'atar spice blends include oregano or thyme or both.  So, as is frequently the case, with too much information I have to make a choice.   I am going to stay with my local source and I will grown the herb, Satureja thymbra in my garden and call it Za'atar.  This evergreen perennial is native to the Mediterranean and is a dominant plant on the island of Crete.  It flowers in the spring with large pink flowers and the bush is highly aromatic and imparts a spicy flavor.   Here in zone 9b we are very lucky to share the Mediterranean climate that allows many plants to thrive as perennials with the lovely benefit of year round herb gardens.  Maybe, I'll send off a question to Alton Brown on this subject and let him tackle this subject and see how he does.

Za'atar plant. (photo by freeimagefinder.com)

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