What Is Za'atar? The Middle Eastern Spice on Your Pizza

Za'atar is a Middle Eastern spice blend made from dried thyme, ground sumac, toasted sesame seeds, and salt. The word "za'atar" refers to both the spice blend and the wild thyme plant (Origanum syriacum) that forms its base. In the Levant — Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and Jordan — za'atar is as fundamental as salt and pepper are in Western kitchens. It goes on bread, eggs, yogurt, salads, and roasted vegetables. It defines the flavor of manakeesh, the Levantine flatbread that is essentially the Middle Eastern answer to pizza.

What Ingredients Are in Za'atar?

A traditional za'atar blend contains four core ingredients, each contributing a specific flavor dimension. The ratio varies by region, family recipe, and commercial producer, but the standard proportions are roughly 40% dried thyme, 25% ground sumac, 25% toasted sesame seeds, and 10% salt. Some blends add oregano, marjoram, or dried coriander as secondary herbs.

• Dried thyme (Origanum syriacum or Thymus vulgaris): The backbone of the blend. Middle Eastern wild thyme (also called "Syrian oregano") has a more complex, slightly floral flavor compared to European garden thyme. When unavailable, a mix of common thyme and oregano approximates the flavor.
• Ground sumac: A dark red berry ground into a tangy, citrusy powder. Sumac provides the acidity in za'atar — a tartness similar to lemon juice but earthier and more complex. Without sumac, za'atar loses its signature brightness.
• Toasted sesame seeds: Add nuttiness, texture, and fat. The seeds are lightly toasted to deepen their flavor before mixing. White sesame is standard, though some Palestinian blends use a mix of white and black sesame.
• Salt: Balances and amplifies the other flavors. Fine sea salt dissolves more evenly into the blend than coarse salt.

What Is Manakeesh and How Does It Connect to Za'atar?

Manakeesh (also spelled manakish or man'oushe) is a Levantine flatbread topped with za'atar mixed into olive oil and baked in a hot oven. It is the most common breakfast food in Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine — sold from bakeries starting at dawn and eaten warm, folded in half like a taco, often with fresh mint, tomatoes, and cucumbers tucked inside. Manakeesh is the purest expression of za'atar as a food. The olive oil blooms the thyme and sumac, the sesame seeds toast in the oven, and the bread absorbs the flavored oil, becoming simultaneously crispy on top and soft underneath.

The connection between manakeesh and pizza is direct. Both are flatbreads baked in hot ovens with toppings pressed into the surface. Both originated as simple street food — affordable, quick, and satisfying. The difference is geographic and cultural: pizza evolved in Naples with tomato, mozzarella, and basil. Manakeesh evolved in the Levant with za'atar, olive oil, and akkawi cheese. Same concept, different flavor traditions, separated by 1,500 miles of Mediterranean coastline.

Can You Put Za'atar on Pizza?

Za'atar on pizza is not fusion cooking — it is two flatbread traditions meeting naturally. Sprinkle za'atar on a Margherita after it comes out of the oven and the thyme complements the basil, the sumac brightens the tomato sauce, and the sesame adds texture against the melted mozzarella. Za'atar also works as a pre-bake addition mixed into olive oil and brushed onto the dough before topping, creating a flavored base that infuses the entire pizza. At Forni, we use za'atar as a finishing spice — the 800-degree oven would burn the sesame seeds if applied before baking, so a post-bake sprinkle preserves every flavor.

Za'atar is not exotic. It is thyme, sesame, sumac, and salt. Four ingredients that have flavored Levantine food for centuries. Put it on pizza and it feels like it always belonged there.

Za'atar at Forni

At Forni, za'atar represents the Middle Eastern side of our kitchen's identity. We are a halal pizzeria that draws from both Italian and Levantine traditions. Za'atar on our pizza is a bridge between those worlds — the same way our shawarma pizza bridges street food cultures. Ask for za'atar as a finishing spice on any pizza, or try it on our flatbread options. Every ingredient in our kitchen at 5800 Seminary Rd in Falls Church respects both the Italian and Middle Eastern roots of what we cook.

Want to explore more Middle Eastern flavors on pizza? Read our complete shawarma guide →