Zaatar What it is made of, how it is faked, and what it costs
Episode date: Length: 1 min 26 s
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Zaatar with olive oil is an everyday Syrian breakfast. But the bag does not always hold real zaatar. The Mukhtar asked sellers what goes into a zaatar mix, where it comes from, and what is added to bulk it up.
The short answer
Syrian zaatar is a mix of wild thyme leaves (called "zawba'a"), sumac, sesame, wheat, roasted chickpeas (qudameh), salt and oil, sellers say. The thyme grows on the Syrian coast and in the Aleppo countryside. Some mixes are cut with cheaper fillers such as dry bread, fava beans or ground chickpeas. In June 2026 it cost about $0.6 to $2.1 in Damascus (80 to 300 new Syrian pounds), depending on the type.
Sellers listed the mix: thyme leaves (locally "zawba'a"), sumac, sesame, wheat, salt and oil. A proper mix also has roasted chickpeas (qudameh), and dearer mixes add pistachio. The share of each changes from shop to shop, and that drives the taste and the price. Sellers say Aleppo zaatar is the best known in Syria.
Where is it grown?
On the Syrian coast and in the countryside around Aleppo, according to sellers.
How is zaatar faked?
Sellers said some makers replace the costly qudameh or pistachio with cheaper fillers ground into the mix, such as dry bread, fava beans or chickpeas, to add weight and lower the cost. Ask what is in it, and taste before you buy.
What does it cost?
According to sellers in the episode, zaatar cost about $0.6 to $2.1 (80 to 300 new Syrian pounds) in Damascus in June 2026, depending on the type and mix.
Questions people ask
What is Syrian zaatar made of?
Thyme leaves, sumac, sesame, wheat, roasted chickpeas (qudameh), salt and oil, according to sellers in the Mukhtar Al Souq episode.
How can you tell fake zaatar?
Ask about the ingredients and taste it. Some mixes use dry bread, fava beans or ground chickpeas instead of qudameh and pistachio.
How much is zaatar in Syria?
In June 2026 it cost about $0.6 to $2.1 in Damascus (80 to 300 new Syrian pounds), depending on the type.
We ask sellers in the market and record every price with its date, in US dollars and new Syrian pounds. How we work
The Mukhtar Al Souq team: produced by Ahmad Nahas (the show on his site) · written by Ahmad Nahas, Mazen Shbib, Ranim Shabani and Dania Halbouni · edited by Abdulrahman Al-Nassar and Abdulrahman Mulla · graphics by Wael Fayyad
The truth from the market, for the people