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[Laura C. Minnick]

In a message dated 4/9/00 7:15:14 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Peldyn at aol.com 
writes:

<< Zatar- Thymbra spicata>>

OK. I am presuming that you are associating this word with za'atar. The 
references I have in all my middle eastern collection indicates that za'atar 
and zatar although both used are, in fact, distinctively different from each 
other and not used interchangeably. 
 
 <<Zatar tastes like hearty thyme and is famous in Arabic and North African 
 cooking.>>

Possibly. I do not have any cookbooks from Saudi Arabia. However, I have 3 
generalized North African cookbooks and I have not found it as an ingredient 
in recipes from either book. Perhaps it occurs in a more regionally specific 
cuisine? Which part of North Africa? Ethiopia, Egypt, Libya?

Za'atar has a distinct lemony flavor caused by the sumac which, contrary to 
posted information is the predominate ingredient (1 T compared to 1/2 to 1 
tsp of each of the other ingredients posted in the recipe). Both a Turkish 
friend and a Lebanese friend have told me that they are unaware of any 
za'atar recipes which contain zatar since this thread started. They do 
confirm the occasional use of zatar in home based cooking.

Zatar does NOT appear in any translated medieval middle eastern recipes that 
I can find while sumac appears with regularity.

This is a mystery but I am sure  that between the posters interested we can 
work it all out in the end. :-)

<< Peldyn >>