Spend any length of time in Lebanon and you are likely to develop a bit of a za’atar habit. While most people there will tell you that higher quality za’atar mixes are characterised by having a higher proportion of toasted sesame seeds, to Abu Kassem, it is the za’atar herb itself that is its most precious component.

To make the za'atar mix, Abu Kassem grinds together 1.5kg dried za'atar, 1.5kg sumac berries and around 150g coarse salt (700g ground sumac could be used instead).

After grinding, the mixture is threshed, removing coarse pieces of sumac.

Abu Kassem's wife Fatima toasts sesame seeds: equal weights of toasted sesame seeds and the ground za'atar and sumac mix make up the final blend

I was reminded of Abu Kassem and his za’atar recently when a bout of late-night munchies, coupled with a shocking lack of crisps, led to this:

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Proper Lebanese pizza – or man’oushé – consists of za’atar mixed with at least an equal quantity (and usually more) of olive oil, spread on a thin round of Lebanese bread (or saaj) and may be sprinkled with additional toppings of, say, grated cheese or cooked, minced lamb.

The traditional saaj dough is kept very thin and cooks very quickly, which ensures that the sesame seeds in the za’atar don’t burn. In the absence of authentic Lebanese bread, a flour tortilla, spread with an oil and za’atar mix, topped with some good grated cheese and flashed under the grill, makes for quite an acceptable late-night and not-in-Lebanon-anymore approximation.

Of course, it should also go without saying that, while you will find za’atar most often in the company of flatbreads, there’s no reason why it can’t also be used to dress up many other foods. Spuds (says she rather predictably) are, in their many guises, just one of the possibilities.