Easy Exotic Flavor with New Zahtar Mixed Spices from Pereg Natural Foods
If you keep up with food trends, you know that cooking with exotic global ingredients is all the rage. One easy way to bring global flavor to your kitchen easily and inexpensively is through the use of spices, such as Zahtar. Now Pereg Natural Foods has introduced their own Zahtar spice blend, and I truly enjoyed trying it for this review. Yum!
* Complimentary product received for review. This post may contain affiliate links.
First, let’s talk a little bit about Zahtar. Although it usually refers to a spice blend, the word is also another name for the herb hyssop. As a blend, Zahtar has been used for centuries across the Mediterranean and Middle East, so you may see it with different spellings, e.g., zatar, zatr, zahatar, za’tar, za’atar, zaa’tar, or satar. Likewise, the ingredients can differ, depending on the origin or preference of the blender. Pereg’s blend contains hyssop, parsley, salt, citric acid, sesame seeds, ground chickpeas, coriander, and olive oil, and it’s all-natural, gluten-free, vegan, and OU kosher-certified (plus, it would make an awesome stocking-stuffer for the foodie on your gift list!).
A traditional way to serve Zahtar is with pita bread and olive oil—a torn-off piece of pita is dipped into olive oil and then into Zahtar. Zahtar is also sometimes mixed with olive oil to make a spread for bread or crackers. Today, however, the sky is the limit, and Zahtar is appearing in dips, on pizza, as a rub for meat or fish, sprinkled on vegetables, and added to soups, stews, or marinades.
For my first time trying Pereg Zahtar, I used it to flavor focaccia in place of my usual seasonings. Before baking the focaccia, I just sprinkled on the Zahtar, which was easy thanks to the jar’s handy shaker top. The flavor is hard to describe, but it was delicious! I’d say it’s herby and somewhat earthy, but bright, too. Both my husband and I enjoyed it, although in the future I’ll use a heavier hand with the shaker, as the flavor was a bit subtle.
Now that I’ve had a taste of Zahtar, I’m a fan, and I’m busily thinking of other ways to use it. Next up, I’ll toss cauliflower florets with olive oil and Zahtar before giving them a spin in my air fryer. Can’t wait to try that!
In addition to spices, Pereg’s extensive product line includes all-natural rice, pasta, beans, grains, flours, breadcrumbs, and more. If you can’t find them at your local retailer, you can purchase them directly at Pereg’s website, where you can also find recipes for inspiration. Check out Pereg on Facebook, too, for up-to-date information on their products, giveaways, recipes, and more.
Giveaway: One lucky winner is going to win their own jar of Pereg Zahtar mixed spices. Good luck!
Giveaway Details: This giveaway is open to residents of the US ONLY age 18 and over. Please read our Terms of Service & Disclaimer Policy before entering. This giveaway will close on December 21st, 2018 at 11:59 pm EST time. No purchase necessary to enter or win.
Disclaimer: A. Bailey received a complimentary product for review purposes & feature on The Classy Chics blog. No monetary compensation was received. A. Bailey’s thoughts, opinions and words are 100% her own. Your thoughts may differ. Please read the blog’s terms of service policy before entering any giveaways. The Classy Chics are NOT responsible for prize fulfillment or shipping of any items won from this blog.