Savor a Biblical and Timeless Flavor: Dip Your Bread in Olive Oil and Zaatar!

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"Cleanse me with hyssop and I will be pure" Psalm 51:7

Zaatar or Za'tar (zaah-tur) is a common noun in the Arabic language and refers to both a Middle-Eastern herb spice mixture and importantly a distinct herb plant in the mint family.  The herbal plant is referred to in English as bible hyssop or Syrian oregano, or ezov in Hebrew,  but the mixture is just called zaatar.

Zaatar enjoys an enduring heritage in the Levant Holy Lands, or East Mediterranean region as an essential kitchen table staple because it is simple, delicious, nutritious, non-perishable, and offers many relishes.  It is a flavorful condiment that is enjoyed as a dip with olive oil and bread, a topping on flat breads and bakery items, a seasoning and a herbal spice on many foods.

We believe that our Tyme Foods’ Zaatar is the number one zaatar on the market for quality and pure ingredients including a top-shelf hyssop mainstay ingredient.  (Most other zaatar on the market are cheats with substitutes and often unknown fillers for ingredients.) 

You can shop here at our store, or on Amazon, for the highest zaatar quality and flavor.

Now about the biblical tradition of the hyssop ingredient in a Ceremonial, Botanical, and Medicinal contexts- 

Ceremonial: Ancient Israel burned hyssop burned with the Red Heifer (Num. 19:6) and used it for the purification of lepers (Lev. 14:4–6; Num. 19:18). At Passover, hyssop was used to sprinkle the blood of the sacrificial lamb on the doorposts (Ex. 12:22). Hyssop was used to offer Jesus a drink of vinegar on the cross. In these occasions hyssop was used in a sacrificial context to cleanse and purify or heal.

Botanical: The Hebrew word ezov was first translated into English as “hyssop.” But Biblical scholars say that ezov was not what we call hyssop today. “Bible hyssop” was actually oregano. Jewish tradition maintains that ezov was distinct from Persian, Greek, and Italian oreganos: rather identified today as Lebanese or Syrian oregano, with the scientific name of Origanum syriacum.  It is an extremely aromatic and endangered herb that grows in the stony ground of coastal Levant from Turkey to Egypt. For example, there are big fines in Israel for harvesting Origanum syriacum in the wild. For its high demand, “Bible hyssop” is cultivated for culinary and ceremonial use in the various countries of the Levant.

Medicinal: Oil of Hyssop or Syrian Oregano contains carvacrol and thymol, antioxidants that build the immune system and prevent cell damage (cancer) caused by free radicals. Oregano has compounds that inhibit the growth of 23 species of infectious bacteria. There is evidence that oregano can suppress some viruses and reduce inflammation causing heart disease, colitis, diabetes, and autoimmune conditions. Breathing the vapor from a drop of oregano oil in hot water can relieve coughs, asthma, croup, bronchitis, sinus, and lung infections (breathe gingerly, as steam can burn delicate tissues). Some people report that wild thyme or zaatar tea (boiled leaf) is effective for gut health, diarrhea, indigestion, cramps, parasites, and urinary tract/kidney infections. Topically, a poultice of oregano may help to heal skin sores, relieve muscle aches, and treat acne. Some folks believe that while healing the body, oregano also heals the mind and spirit.