Za'atar in Spain... a taste of Jordan

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One of the things I enjoy about travelling to other countries is trying out the local food and drink - tasting things that are new and different to what we have at home. When possible, I try to bring a "taste" of my foreign destination to those who stayed at home while I was on my trip. So when I got back to Spain yesterday (after rather a long trip, which involved sitting up all night in Gatwick airport!) I had fun giving my housemates  a taste of Jordan.

Gabriela had recently read a Narnia book at school (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) and there's a part where one of the characters is tempted by some Turkish Delight. We don't have Turkish Delight in Spain, and she didn't know it was something that really existed. So I had bought some Lokum (Turkish Delight) at a market stall in Amman. I had also brought back some tiny sugared aniseed sweets, and some of those sticky Middle Eastern pastries, full of pistachios, honey and sesame. The thing that turned out to be the biggest hit in my household, however, was the healthy stuff: the bag of za'atar that I had brought with me.

Eyebrows were raised when I first showed them the za'atar, because it looked rather like a bag of grass cuttings! Za'atar is a blend of ground, dried herbs - such as thyme, marjoram, oregano, sumac, cumin, and coriander - mixed with toasted sesame seeds, sometimes with caraway seeds or fennel seeds and salt. It's considered to be a health food because it is so high in anti-oxidants. You can use it in cooking, sprinkle it in hummus or pizza, or you can mix it with a little olive oil to make it spreadable. While we were staying in Jerash, little slices of bread with za'atar were served as an accompaniment to every meal. When we were shopping at the market in Amman, we stopped at a stall where a man was making warm pitta bread, toasted with garlic and cheese.

So this was what my household had for supper last night. I spread crushed garlic and za'atar on flatbread (you can also use Mexican tortillas), sprinkled it with a little cheese, and toasted it in a frying pan, like you see the man doing in the picture. It was not only healthy, but was also a big hit: Ada, Gabriela and Nicole all enjoyed it. I have to confess that one of Ada's za'atar breads was given a Peruvian twist by adding some hot spicy sauce made with rocoto (South American chilli peppers!) which made for an interesting fusion of Middle Eastern and South American cuisine. Ada's now asking when I'm going to the Middle East again, so that I can bring back a bigger bag of za'atar next time.