Good morning. If you like ingredients that punch above their weight, za’atar should earn permanent status in your spice rack.

Our team has become obsessed with it this past year, and we’re excited to feature it today so you can too.

INGREDIENT DEEP DIVE 🍳

Za’atar

What is it?

Za’atar is a Middle Eastern spice blend usually made from dried thyme, toasted sesame seeds, sumac, and salt. Recipes vary by region and household. Some add dried oregano or marjoram, cumin, coriander, or other spices, but the core idea is always the same: an herb, sesame, & sumac forward seasoning meant to be used generously.

Buying Tip: Beware of unscrupulous brands padding the blend with fillers like bulgur wheat or cheap spices. The first ingredients should be dried herbs, sesame, and sumac.

What’s its flavor?

Taste: Salty, mildly bitter from the herbs, with a lemony tang from the sumac

Aroma: Herbal and earthy, toasted notes

Human: A daily flavor in Middle Eastern home cooking, but quickly becoming popularized in the West

Why should you buy some?

Za’atar is one of the easiest ways to add instant aroma & tang. It brings herbiness, acidity, and salt in one pinch; no chopping, no blooming spices, no sauce required.

Makes simple foods (eggs, yogurt, flatbread, vegetables) taste finished
Shelf-stable, versatile, and forgiving (hard to overdo)
A great “default” seasoning when you’re not sure what to use
When used as a dry rub for proteins, almost becomes a sort of breading or exterior “crust”

What else can you make with it?

Za’atar eggs (fried or soft-scrambled with olive oil)
Roasted vegetables or potatoes with olive oil & za’atar
Flatbread or pita brushed with olive oil & za’atar
Sprinkled over labneh, hummus, or Greek yogurt
Za’atar chicken or tofu or salmon (or really any protein)

RECIPE RECS ✅

Try out za’atar in these dishes

One of our favorite methods for using the spice blend is crusting chicken with it, then using it in rice bowls (like the one pictured here) or quick lunch/dinner plates.

Or, you can use it as the key flavoring in a pasta salad, the meat in lamb wraps or beef kebabs, or to bring herbal freshness to a yogurt sauce for shawarma.

You can find all of these recipes on our website, or save & customize them on our app:

Discover the Cook Well App

READER Q&A 🧠

How long do eggs last in the fridge?

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Question: “How long will a carton of eggs keep in my fridge?” - Annie G.

Answer: Grocery store expiration dates are conservative, so don’t automatically throw out a carton if you get to the stamped day.

If kept in the fridge, a carton of eggs can stay good for 3–6 weeks or more from the pack date (which is usually printed on the carton as a three-digit date).
Even when eggs are sold unwashed & at room temperature, fridges extend their life with cold temps. If keeping farm fresh eggs on the counter, you need to use them quickly.

When in doubt, try the float test. Place the egg in a bowl or glass of water and see if it:

Sinks and lays flat = very fresh
Stands upright = older but still usable
Floats = toss it

As eggs age, moisture and air move through the shell, enlarging the air pocket inside — that’s why they float. If an egg smells sulfurous or off once cracked, that’s your real expiration date. Your nose is more reliable than the stamp.

TLDR: Refrigerated eggs last 3–6 weeks (or longer). Use your fridge, your eyes, and your nose, not just the date on the carton.