what i learnt so far from sharing a flat is that the people you live with also always influence you in some ways. each person is unique not just in how they choose to act and how they think, speak and feel but also in so many little quirks, mannerisms and routines they grew accustomed to over the course of their lives. one of the first things you become aware of when you move in with someone is their habits surrounding food. everyone has specific products they grew up with and associate strongly with their childhood, recipes they were either taught by mom - or dad - or have figured out how to recreate since, or simply, the ingredients, the spices and herbs they like, for no other reason than that they like them. when a former roommate of mine introduced me to za'atar, it was just that. i immediately liked it so much. she used to add olive oil to the blend of herbs and spices, spread it on some pizza dough, put it in the oven and the result was just... the tastiest thing in the world. after realizing how much i liked it, she often made sure that there were some pieces left for me when she prepared it or she left me some za'atar so that i could make some for myself.
two years ago, when we went to iraq together, we basically lived of the food from the lebanese restaurant in erbil. the people there were so friendly and welcoming and the food was so unbelievably delicious - i think we must have eaten almost everything they had on the menu. and sure enough they also had za'atar, which left me beaming.
after my roommate moved out, i haven't really tried to find za'atar because i have kind of viewed it as "aida-food" but recently i stumbled over this recipe and thought, well, this doesn't sound to difficult at all, i might as well try it. when i was looking for where to buy sumac, i read in a forum that a store nearby actually sells za'atar! i was very excited at first, that is, until i tried the blend they sell. it didn't taste at all like what i knew as za'atar. way too much sumac, way too less of everything else. so i went and borrowed a mortar from a friend, bought some herbs and ever since i have tried to find the perfect mixture (with lots of thyme in it), i have experimented with the various ingredients and i have to say, i have now gotten very close to how i want it to be. now that i have added it to my repertoire of foods, it is not just that i like it anymore but rather that - every time i prepare it - it reminds me of my roommate and the time we spent together in iraq.
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