On 2014-10-15 19:07:56 +0000, sf said:

> On Wed, 15 Oct 2014 18:19:39 +0000 (UTC), Oregonian Haruspex
> > wrote:
>
>> sf > wrote:
>>> On Wed, 15 Oct 2014 07:15:04 +0000 (UTC), Oregonian Haruspex
>>> > wrote:
>>>
>>>> sf > wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I do that for my kids too. My son in law *loved* the Cajun spice mix
>>>>> I made. One fantastic seasoning that's just a matter of buying a
>>>>> package and doling it out is za'atar. OMG! That stuff is like crack.
>>>>> You can use it for so many things - from adding it to olive oil for
>>>>> dipping, to using as a seasoning for vegetables and meat (lamb chops
>>>>> love za'atar).
>>>>
>>>> Yeah zaatar is excellent and goes with practically anything. But one
>>>> should always mention ground sumac in the same breath, as it is equally
>>>> versatile but entirely different. A hummus plate without either is just
>>>> bland amateurism.
>>>
>>> Isn't sumac part of the za'atar blend? I thought it was.
>>>
>>
>> Thyme is the base as far as I always knew, and it almost always has sesame
>> seeds and salt as well. From that base I think there are about a million
>> regional variations of it. The middle eastern store I shop at has about a
>> half dozen kinds, but for reasons of taste and economy we settled on the
>> Sadaf brand.
>
> Look at these recipes
> http://mideastfood.about.com/od/midd...s/r/zaatar.htm
> http://www.freshbitesdaily.com/homemade-zaatar/

Looks like those people really like sumac in their zaatar. As I said
there are many regional variations. It is present in the Sadaf blend,
but as the last ingredient on the list.