Everyone's talking about za'atar
Every person, every family, and every city throughout Syria loves its za'atar. It unites the entire country, with all its diverse religions and ethnic groups.
A blend of spices and herbs that tastes great with everything and is nourishing.
It’s an indispensable dip for breakfast, just like Fairuz’s voice in the morning. It’s very light and refreshing in a salad, and with a za’atar crust, the rack of lamb becomes the star of the show.
This unique blend alone is enough to make Syrian cuisine a hit:
- wild oregano
- Sumac (a spice made from the dried and ground berries of the sumac tree)
- roasted, ground chickpeas
- toasted sesame seeds
- roasted pistachios
- and, as an unusual ingredient, “botom,” a type of wild pistachio.
The morning always begins with zait (olive oil) and za'atar. The pita bread is torn into small pieces and shaped into little pouches. These are first dipped into a small bowl of olive oil and then into the bowl of za'atar so that the mixture sticks well.
Or the pita bread is brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with za'atar, and then rolled up. That's how Syrian schoolchildren make their school sandwiches.
My nephew George came to Hamburg when he was eight years old. Here, just like back home, he would take his rolled-up pita bread to school. His classmates became curious and traded the contents of their Tupperware containers with him. From then on, George had to take more and more pita bread to school!
By the way, our za'atar is also available online with us.
The Fall Menu
Getting Started
From the Mazza:
8 different fall vegetables and legumes, prepared in a sophisticated and flavorful way. .
Main Course
Lamb loin, the fillet from the lamb's back, trimmed of fat and bones, coated in our house-recipe za'atar, served on a sheep's milk cheese sauce.
Serve with basmati rice, dates, walnuts, and sultanas.
Dessert
To finish, a wide variety of Syrian desserts.
Set Menu for 2 People: 79 €
We look forward to welcoming you.
Best regards,
Your Saliba Alsterarkaden Team