Za’atar and Bread are gastronomic pillars of the Middle Eastern gastronomic world, but non-negotiable signs of cultural identity, continuity, and survival. The staples—a resilient social and quotidian memory component—are Palestinian and Levantine society food and social existence.
Bread, and specifically pita bread, has been social and Middle Eastern Palestinian cuisine’s holy food. Its making is ritualized, signifying social and family unity. Even more than water, flour, yeast, and salt, bread is meal focal and, for most situations, an instrument, scooped and served as a vehicle for food or swabbed into dips, enabling communal patterns of consumption. Breaking and baking bread and were and remain for centuries indicators of hospitality, unity, and sustenance.
Za’atar is ritual herb blend in traditional form made of thyme, oregano, sumac, sesame seeds, and salt. No matter the way the country makes it, ingredients always yield intense earthy tastes typical of richness of country’s cuisine history. traditionally with olive oil and toasted bread, za’atar is Palestinian breakfast in itself.
Besides taste, it also is a common cultural heritage and memory.
Za’atar and bread ritually together even more in times of hardship. Za’atar preparation as culture of emotion and resilience storage in Palestinian homes. Homes communally for dough kneading and memory, comforted and safe in memory rituals. Za’atar aroma wafting over hot, pungent bread sensate connection to past and home and cultural symbol.
These rituals are intergenerational transmission too. Za’atar cooking tradition and recipes are passed on from one member of a clan to another in a way that the continuity of culture is preserved. Whole za’atar and bread consumption and preparation ritual is reassertion of culture, which, being repeated and practiced over again within rearranges identity.
Za’atar at home and on the street are invitations to home and enactments of belonging in the past. During periods of sudden change and displacement, such ordinary but potent foods allow one to stake shared memory. These feed beyond the body—continuity, cure, and home for all.
