-1060x400w.jpg "Za'atar and sumac: what they are, what they taste like and how to use them")
Every few years a spice becomes fashionable and reaches the shelves before anyone quite knows what to do with it. Right now it is the turn of za'atar and sumac, the two cornerstones of Middle Eastern cooking. Most people buy the jar, use it once on a bowl of hummus and leave it at the back of the cupboard for a year.
That is a shame, because they are among the easiest spices to work into everyday cooking: sumac replaces lemon without adding liquid, and za'atar turns toast with oil into something you actually want to eat. Here is what they are exactly, what they taste like, how to use them this week, what the evidence says about their reputation as health foods — which is more qualified than what you will see on Instagram — and where to buy them in Barcelona and Sant Cugat.
In short
- Sumac (or sumach, Rhus coriaria) is a dried, ground berry, deep red in colour, with a sharp, fruity flavour close to lemon but less aggressive. It brings acidity without adding liquid.
- Za'atar is a blend, not a single plant: an aromatic herb (Syrian hyssop, thyme or oregano) + sumac + toasted sesame + salt. Every household and every region has its own ratio.
- They are not the same thing: sumac is an ingredient in za'atar. If you are only going to buy one, start with sumac.
- Evidence: a meta-analysis of 17 clinical trials (1,170 participants) found that sumac lowers LDL cholesterol by around 9.6 mg/dl. The small print: at 1 to 6 grams a day for weeks, not a pinch on a salad.
- We stock them in the organic spices section: za'atar in a 125 g jar, sumac in a 100 g jar and wild bulk sumac.
- In Barcelona you will find them at Provença 242 and Còrsega 78, and in Sant Cugat at Antoni Bell 2 (Volpelleres).
What za'atar actually is (and why every household has its own)
Here is the confusion almost everyone carries around: za'atar (from the Arabic زعتر) is the name of both a plant and a blend. The plant is Origanum syriacum, Syrian oregano, known in the biblical tradition as hyssop. The blend is what you buy in the jar.
A standard blend contains four things: dried aromatic herb (Syrian hyssop, and in European versions thyme, oregano or savory), sumac, toasted sesame and salt. From there, each region goes its own way: Lebanese blends load up the sumac and come out redder and sharper; Palestinian ones carry more sesame and end up more toasted and mellow; in Syria and Jordan it is common to add cumin, fennel or coriander. There is no canonical recipe, which is why two jars of za'atar from two different brands can taste quite different.
The classic use is to mix it with extra virgin olive oil into a paste and spread it on bread: that is manakish, the small breakfast pizza of Lebanon. It is also sprinkled over labneh, over fried eggs or over roasted vegetables.
What sumac is, and what it tastes like
Sumac comes from the berries of Rhus coriaria, a shrub in the cashew family — the same one as the cashew, the pistachio and the mango — that grows across the Mediterranean, the Middle East and Central Asia. The berries are dried and ground, and the result is a coarse powder of a very distinctive deep garnet red.
The flavour is sharp with a fruity backbone, along the lines of lemon but less piercing and with more body. And here is its practical advantage, which is the part almost nobody explains: it brings acidity without bringing water. When you squeeze lemon over a salad or over roasted vegetables, you add liquid and soften them. With sumac that does not happen: you sprinkle, and the texture stays as it was. That is why it works so well on pulses, on fish, on raw red onion or on a plate of fresh cheese.
It is the acid in fattoush, the Lebanese salad with toasted bread, and what gives the edge to a hummus, a baba ganoush or a muhammara.
Za'atar or sumac: which one you need
| Sumac | Za'atar | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A spice: a dried ground berry | A blend of several spices |
| Plant | Rhus coriaria | Based on Origanum syriacum, thyme or oregano |
| Flavour | Sharp, citrusy, fruity | Herbaceous and toasted, with a sharp edge |
| Colour | Garnet red | Olive green with red and white flecks |
| Contains salt | No | Yes, almost always |
| Contains allergens | No (take care if there is a cashew-family allergy) | Sesame |
| When to use it | At the end, raw, like lemon | With oil, on bread, or in the oven |
| If you only buy one | This one | The second one |
Five ways to use them this week
1. Za'atar and oil on toast
One teaspoon of za'atar, two of extra virgin olive oil, spread on bread before toasting it. Five minutes in the oven and you have breakfast for half of Lebanon. With a strained natural yoghurt alongside, it is a complete meal.
2. Sumac on anything that calls for lemon
Fish, eggs, roasted vegetables, avocado, olives. The rule is simple: wherever you were going to squeeze half a lemon and do not want to wet the plate, sprinkle sumac. Half a teaspoon per portion is enough.
3. Red onion with sumac
Red onion finely sliced, salt, a splash of vinegar and a teaspoon of sumac. Ten minutes to rest and you have the side that goes with everything: pulses, plant protein, griddled tofu or a sandwich.
4. Za'atar in the roasting tin
Sprinkle it over potato, squash, cauliflower or aubergine before they go in the oven, along with the oil. The sesame toasts, the herb perfumes and the sumac cuts the fat. It works just as well on frozen vegetables when there is no time.
5. In a fattoush salad
Tomato, cucumber, radish, plenty of fresh herbs, toasted bread torn into pieces and a dressing of oil, lemon and sumac. It is the most direct way to understand why this spice has been in the kitchens of the region for a thousand years. Add nuts or seeds and it becomes a one-dish meal.
Are they really healthy? What the evidence says
Sumac is one of the most studied spices of recent years, and it is worth looking at the numbers before buying into the superfood label. A meta-analysis published in BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies (2025) brings together 17 randomised clinical trials with 1,170 participants, at doses of 1 to 6 grams a day of sumac powder for 4 to 12 weeks. These are the pooled results:
| Parameter | Effect of sumac | Significant? |
|---|---|---|
| LDL cholesterol | −9.6 mg/dl | Yes |
| Total cholesterol | −9.5 mg/dl | Yes |
| Triglycerides | −9.0 mg/dl | Yes |
| HDL cholesterol | +3.0 mg/dl | Yes |
| Insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) | −0.87 | Yes |
| Body mass index | −0.31 kg/m² | Yes |
| Fasting glucose | No clear effect | No |
| Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) | No clear effect | No |
Now the small print, which is the part that does not make it into the reels. First, the dose: 1 to 6 grams a day is between half a teaspoon and three teaspoons of sumac every day, sustained for weeks. A pinch on Sunday's salad is not that. Second, all 17 trials were run in the same country, Iran, which limits how far the results can be extrapolated. And third, the size of the effect: lowering LDL by 9.6 mg/dl is worthwhile, but it is a fraction of what changing the whole pattern of eating achieves.
Translated: sumac carries a high load of anthocyanins, tannins and flavonoids, and it probably adds something. But it adds on top of a diet that already works, not instead of one. Buy sumac because it solves the acidity-without-water problem and because it tastes good; if what you are after is lower cholesterol, the lever is in pulses, wholegrains, vegetables and olive oil, not in the spice jar. And you do not need any supplement for that.
How to choose and store them
- Look at the colour. Good sumac is a deep garnet red. If it tends towards dull brown, it has been ground too long or has been exposed to light.
- Read the za'atar label. Some commercial blends contain flour, semolina or breadcrumbs as filler, which makes the jar cheaper and dilutes the flavour. Ours contains only spices.
- Sesame is an allergen and in za'atar it must be declared. Bear that in mind if you are cooking for other people.
- Airtight jar, dark, away from the hob. Za'atar contains sesame, and sesame contains fat: near the burners it goes rancid. Six months to a year in good conditions.
- Buy in bulk if you will get through it. Wild bulk sumac lets you take exactly the amount you want with no packaging; the 100 g jar keeps better if you use it now and then.
The shopping list
If you want to put together a proper mezze dinner, this is what makes sense to pick up at the same time: za'atar, sumac, the rest of the organic spices, salt, extra virgin olive oil, chickpeas, sauces and spreads, sesame seeds, bread, fresh vegetables, olives, natural yoghurt, fresh cheese, eggs, nuts and, for pudding, seasonal fruit. For anyone who needs it, we have a gluten-free section, and the week's offers are here.
Where to buy za'atar and sumac in Barcelona and Sant Cugat
We stock them in all three shops and in the online shop, with home delivery:
- Linverd Provença — Provença 242, 08008 Barcelona (Eixample, between Balmes and Enric Granados).
- Linverd Còrsega — Còrsega 78, 08029 Barcelona (Les Corts / Eixample, near Sants station).
- Linverd Volpelleres — Antoni Bell 2, 08174 Sant Cugat del Vallès.
If you are looking for Middle Eastern spices in Barcelona and you want them to be certified organic, the advantage of buying them here is twofold: bulk sumac lets you buy 20 grams to try instead of a whole jar, and you can ask questions. Telephone: 683 118 961. If you would rather we chose for you, the organic baskets carry the best of each week.
Frequently asked questions
Are za'atar and sumac the same thing?
No. Sumac is a single spice: the ground berry of Rhus coriaria. Za'atar is a blend that contains sumac, along with dried aromatic herb, toasted sesame and salt. All za'atar contains sumac, but sumac is also used on its own.
What does sumac taste like?
Like lemon, but rounder and less piercing, with a fruity backbone close to red fruit. Its advantage over lemon is that it brings that acidity in powder form, without adding liquid to the dish, so it does not soften salads or roasted vegetables.
Is culinary sumac the same as poison sumac?
No. The culinary one is Rhus coriaria, with red berries, and it has been eaten for centuries across the eastern Mediterranean. The toxic species in the same group (Toxicodendron) have white berries and are not sold as food. If the powder is deep red, it is the right one.
What can I use instead of sumac if I have none?
Lemon zest plus a pinch of salt is the closest, although you lose the colour and the fruity backbone. A little vinegar works for the acidity, but it wets the dish, which is exactly what sumac avoids.
Does za'atar contain gluten?
Authentic za'atar does not: it is herbs, sumac, sesame and salt. But some industrial blends add flour or breadcrumbs as filler, and then it does. You have to read the label. Ours contains only spices. It does contain sesame, which is an allergen that must be declared.
Where can I buy organic za'atar and sumac in Barcelona?
At Linverd you will find them at Provença 242 and Còrsega 78 (Barcelona) and at Antoni Bell 2 (Sant Cugat), as well as in the online shop with home delivery. Sumac is available in a 100 g jar and also in bulk, so you can take only the amount you are going to use.
What to read next
If you want to know how we work and what thinking sits behind what we put on the shelf, we explain it here: what a real organic supermarket in Barcelona looks like. And if you are reorganising the way you eat after the summer, carry on with how to reset your digestion and with the guide to hydrating properly. The whole health blog is here.
This article is for information only and does not replace the advice of a healthcare professional. If you have a nut or cashew-family allergy, a sesame allergy, or you take medication for cholesterol or diabetes, consult your doctor or dietitian before making these spices a regular part of your diet.