I generally don’t buy spice blends (especially if Emeril’s face is on the label!); unless they are from a spice shop with a high turnover, they tend to be old and musty-tasting. And there’s something I like about roasting and then grinding whole spices to make my own blend.
But there a few products I will make an exception for: Chinese Five Spice, which is indispensible for charcuterie; and Ras el Hanout, a sweet blend of Middle Eastern spices that is wonderful with dried-fruit-based desserts. And za’atar, which is my most recent discovery in the world of spices.
Za’atar is an unusual blend of sesame seeds, salt, dried herbs such as marjoram, thyme or oregano, and sumac, the dried fruit of a shrub whose tart flavor gives za’atar its distinctive piquancy.
Za’atar is used with abandon in the cuisine of North Africa and the Middle East: It is baked onto flatbreads, eaten with thick yogurt, used a seasoning for chicken, lamb or fish, or used in my favorite way, as a seasoning for hummus.
My wife, Yasmin, showed me this way to eat hummus — she learned about za’atar on a trip to Israel a few years ago. It’s even better if you serve it with a side of oil-cured olives and pickled vegetables.
Note: Savory Spice Shop sells an excellent-quality za’atar. You can also find it in many Middle Eastern markets.
Hummus With Za’atar
Serves 6-8.
Ingredients
2 cups cooked chickpeas, warm
1/2 cup sesame tahini
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for drizzling
Pinch cayenne
Salt and pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons za’atar
Grilled bread or pita
Directions
In a food processor, blend the chickpeas, tahini, garlic, olive oil, cayenne, salt and pepper until smooth.
Add the lemon juice and adjust seasoning to taste. Spread the hummus on a plate or bowl and make a pool in the center. Drizzle olive oil in the pool and garnish the hummus with the za’atar. Serve with grilled bread or pita.
