Za’atar, which means ‘thyme’ in Arabic, is a condiment made all over the Levant region in places like Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine. Similar to Tunisian harissa, it is often found at the table with extra virgin olive oil and bread to be dipped and enjoyed fresh; a beautiful culinary element that reflects cultural similarity with the Levant region. This is not a coincidence though.

Indeed, olive trees were brought by the Phoenicians from the present-day Levant region to present-day Tunisia where the oldest olive trees were planted 2500 years ago by soldiers of the Carthaginian general Hannibal. Of course, olive oil is an integral ingredient and accompaniment to our Tunisian harissa today. It’s a beautiful example of how food constantly moves through time and adapts into cuisines that they themselves evolve to become their own thing, like a giant multi-branched tree.

We’re coming back full circle with this Harissa Za’atar grilled cheese, marrying the uniqueness of both Levantine and Tunisian cuisine. In this recipe, we used Z&Z’s extremely fragrant za’atar, harvested straight from the mountains of Jenin, Palestine! 

This recipe was adapted from Falasteeni Foodie's za'atar grilled cheese recipe!