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Information about Zaatar

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Za'atar manakish, the spices spread onto the dough


Za'atar (Arabic زعتر , Hebrew זעתר, Armenian զահթար) is a popular mixture of spices that originated in the Middle East. The Arabic term za'atar does not specifically mean a spice mixture, but may refer to any of various local herbs of the mint family, including marjoram, oregano and thyme. Like most English words from Semitic languages, there exist alternate spellings: zaatar, zatar, zattar or zahatar.

Green za'atar mixture is traditionally composed of dried thyme (Thymus vulgaris), toasted white sesame seeds, and salt. Some sources additionally list savory, hyssop, oregano, cumin, and fennel seed — to name a few. Red za'atar is made with dried thyme with the addition of sumac. Different versions of za'atar will differ greatly in proportions.

In Lebanon, there is a belief that this particular spice mixture makes the mind alert and the body strong. For this reason, children are encouraged to eat a za'atar sandwich for breakfast before an exam. The mixture is also popular in Turkey, Morocco, Syria, Jordan, Israel and North Africa. It is also popular within the Armenian diaspora where Middle Eastern Armenians live. It is used to spice meats and vegetables, and it is also mixed with olive oil to make a spread (za'atar-ul-zayt or zayt-tu-zaa'tar) which is used as a dip for sesame rings (ka'k). Palestinians consider za'atar as one of their staple foods. In Israel, za'atar is frequently sprinkled on hummus or served with olive oil as a spread. Za'atar can also be spread on a dough base for the Middle-Eastern equivalent of a miniature pizza, also known as the manakish. It can be sprinkled on labneh (yogurt that has been drained until it becomes a tangy, creamy cheese). It can also be preserved in oil, by mixing with salt and rolling into balls, or by drying in the sun.

The za'atar found in different countries can be different. In particular, there are differences in the Jordanian, Syrian, and Lebanese za'atar.

See also

al-‘Arabiyyah in written Arabic (Kufic script):  
Pronunciation: /alˌʕa.raˈbij.ja/
Spoken in: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman,
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Hebrew}}} 
Writing system: Alefbet Ivri abjad 
Official status
Official language of:  Israel
Regulated by: Academy of the Hebrew Language

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 Armenian}}} 
Writing system: Armenian alphabet 
Official status
Official language of: Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh
Regulated by: National Academy of Sciences of Armenia
Language codes
ISO 639-1: hy
ISO 639-2: arm (B)
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SPICE (Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis) is a general purpose analog circuit simulator. It is a powerful program that is used in IC and board-level design to check the integrity of circuit designs and to predict circuit behavior.
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Middle East is a historical and political region of Africa-Eurasia with no clear boundaries. The term "Middle East" was popularized around 1900 in Britain, and has been criticized for its loose definition.
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al-‘Arabiyyah in written Arabic (Kufic script):  
Pronunciation: /alˌʕa.raˈbij.ja/
Spoken in: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman,
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Lamiaceae
Lindley

Genera

Many, see text
Ref: Watson and Dallwitz
2002-07-22

Lamiaceae or Labiatae, also known as the Mint family, is a family of plants in about 210 genera and some 3,500 species.
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O. majorana

Binomial name
Origanum majorana
L.

Marjoram (Origanum majorana, Lamiaceae) is a somewhat cold-sensitive perennial herb or undershrub with sweet pine and citrus flavours.
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O. vulgare

Binomial name
Origanum vulgare
L.

Oregano or Pot Marjoram (Origanum vulgare) is a species of Origanum
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Thymus
L.

Species

About 350 species, including:
Thymus adamovicii
Thymus altaicus
Thymus amurensis
Thymus bracteosus
Thymus broussonetii
Thymus caespititius

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English}}} 
Writing system: Latin (English variant) 
Official status
Official language of: 53 countries
Regulated by: no official regulation
Language codes
ISO 639-1: en
ISO 639-2: eng
ISO 639-3: eng  
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Semitic languages are a family of languages spoken by more than 300 million people across much of the Middle East, North Africa, and the Horn of Africa. They constitute the northeastern subfamily of the Afro-Asiatic languages, and the only branch of this group spoken in Asia.
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S. indicum

Binomial name
Sesamum indicum
L.

Sesame (Sesamum indicum) is a flowering plant in the genus Sesamum.
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Salt is a mineral essential for animal life, composed primarily of sodium chloride. Salt for human consumption is produced in different forms: unrefined salt (such as sea salt), refined salt (table salt), and iodized salt.
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Satureja
Tourn. ex Mill.

Species

About 30, see text

Satureja is a genus of aromatic plants of the family Lamiaceae, related to rosemary and thyme.
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hyssop, see Ezob.


Hyssop

Herb Hyssop Hyssopus officinalis


Scientific classification

Kingdom: Plantae

Division: Magnoliophyta
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O. vulgare

Binomial name
Origanum vulgare
L.

Oregano or Pot Marjoram (Origanum vulgare) is a species of Origanum
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C. cyminum

Binomial name
Cuminum cyminum
L.

Cumin (Cuminum cyminum) (sometimes spelled cummin
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F. vulgare

Binomial name
Foeniculum vulgare
Mill.

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a species in the genus Foeniculum
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Rhus
L.

Species
About 250 species; see text

Rhus is a genus of approximately 250 species of flowering plants in the family Anacardiaceae. They are commonly called sumac or sumach.
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Motto
Kūllūnā li-l-waṭan, li-l-'ula wa-l-'alam   (Arabic)
"Nous sommes tous pour le pays, la sublimation et le drapeau!"
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sandwich is a food item typically made of one or two slices of leavened bread between which are laid one or more layers of meat, vegetable, cheese or jam. The bread can be used as is, or it can be coated with butter, oil, or other optional or traditionally provided condiments or
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Breakfast is the first meal of the day, typically eaten in the morning. The word derives from the idea of breaking the involuntary fast of sleep, [1].

History


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Motto
Yurtta Sulh, Cihanda Sulh
Peace at Home, Peace in the World
Anthem
İstiklâl Marşı
The Anthem of Independence
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Motto
"Allāh, al Waţan, al Malik"   (transliteration)
"God, Nation, King"
Anthem
Hymne Chérifien
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Anthem
Homat el Diyar
Guardians of the Land


Capital
(and largest city) Damascus

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Anthem
عاش المليك
The Royal Anthem of Jordan
   ("As-salam al-malaki al-urdoni") 1
Long live the King
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Anthem
Hatikvah
The Hope


Capital
(and largest city) Jerusalem

Official languages Hebrew, Arabic
Demonym Israeli
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North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Northern Africa includes the following seven territories:

  • Algeria
  • Egypt
  • Libya

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The Armenian diaspora is a term used to describe the communities of Armenians living outside of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. Of the total Armenian population living worldwide (in 2004 estimated to be 9,000,000), only about 3,000,000 live in Armenia and about 130,000 in
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