Za’tar

Za’tar (thyme) in ancient Akkadian was ‘zateru’ from which the Arabic word was derived. Thyme is a member of the oregano family, and many varieties of the herb are available. True za’tar is the kind mostly used in the eastern Mediterranean countries. It is identified as origanum syriacum, also known as marjorana syriaca and origanum maru. The English name is white oregano (in identifying the herb, I am indebted to Sarah Melamed, an American biologist living in Israel, through personal correspondence).