On iteration 22
A flavour you cannot approximate.
Za'atar is not a single herb. It is a ratio — wild thyme, sumac, sesame, and salt, balanced according to a convention that predates written recipe. Novra's blend uses Jordanian wild thyme, Turkish sumac, and toasted white sesame. Iteration 22 of 28.
Twenty-eight rounds of formulation. The za'atar took the most of them. The challenge is not making za'atar taste good — that is almost automatic if you start with good ingredients. The challenge is making it taste correct. Every person in this region carries a personal reference for za'atar. It is a flavour people grew up with, a flavour attached to specific memories.
To put it in a product is to enter a conversation that has been running for centuries. Iteration 22 was the version where three separate people — from Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine — each said, independently, that it tasted right. That is the version we locked.
Flavour Profile
- Wild thyme — herbal lift
- Sumac — citrus tartness
- Toasted sesame — depth
Ingredients
Organic corn · Extra virgin olive oil · Jordanian wild thyme · Turkish sumac · Toasted white sesame · Sea salt
Suggested Pairings
Fresh labneh · Olive oil for dipping · Mint tea · Fattoush