Za'atar

Ingredients

• 1 cup Za'atar leaves (without the stalks), cleaned and dried
• 1 cup sesame (optionally roasted)
• 1 cup sumac
• 1 teaspoon salt
• citric acid salt

Method

Dry-roast the sesame seeds in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon — the seeds will smell toasted and nutty within 3–4 minutes, and the first few will turn golden. Pour them onto a plate immediately. They'll continue to cook from residual heat and turn bitter if left in the pan. This dry-roasting step matters because raw sesame tastes raw; the heat develops the oils and deepens the flavour from flat to complex. Let them cool completely — warm seeds will clump when ground.

While the sesame cools, check your za'atar leaves. They should be bone-dry; any moisture will cause mould in storage. Strip them from the stalks by hand, which are woody and add nothing. Discard stalks and any discoloured leaves. Crumble the dried leaves loosely into a large bowl.

Combine everything by weight or volume: the cooled sesame, the crumbled za'atar, the sumac, and salt. This is where spice-blending becomes precision work. Start with two-thirds of the sumac — its tartness varies wildly by source and age — then taste and adjust. The finished blend should be fragrant and slightly sharp, never overwhelming. Citric acid is a modern substitution for sumac's natural acids, useful if your sumac has faded to brownish (a sign the citric notes have degraded). Add sparingly: 1/4 teaspoon at a time, tasting between additions. The salt should be fine enough to distribute evenly; if you use flakes, grind them first.

Store in an airtight glass jar away from sunlight and heat. Za'atar loses its brightness within three months, so use it within that window. Keep it on a cool shelf, not above the cooker. The condiment will keep for up to six months if sealed properly, but it's best fresh — the volatile oils in the za'atar leaves are what give it life.