Palestinian cooking uses two defining spice blends whose proportions and applications distinguish them from the same-named blends of neighbouring culinary traditions. Baharat (meaning "spices") varies by family and region — the Palestinian version leans toward the warm spices (allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg) rather than the Gulf version (which adds dried rose petals and black lime). Za'atar (meaning "thyme" in Arabic but referring to the spice mix throughout the Levant) combines dried thyme and/or oregano with sumac and sesame seeds in proportions that differ between Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria.
**Palestinian baharat:** - Allspice dominant (the primary flavour), with cinnamon, black pepper, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, cumin, and coriander. - The ratio: allspice at approximately 40% of the total blend — providing the warm, slightly sweet, deeply aromatic base. [VERIFY] Khan's baharat recipe. - Applications: meat stuffings (hashweh — the spiced rice and meat used in stuffed vegetables), chicken marinades, lamb preparations. - Toasting the whole spices before grinding: 2–3 minutes in a dry pan until fragrant, then cooled and ground. The toasting develops Maillard compounds and drives off the raw volatile compounds that can produce a flat, "dusty" spice character. **Palestinian za'atar:** - Dried thyme + dried sumac + sesame seeds (toasted) + salt. The Palestinian version uses a higher sumac ratio than Lebanese za'atar. - Uses: mixed with olive oil as a dip for bread (za'atar wa zeit — the defining Palestinian breakfast); sprinkled over labneh; used as a flatbread seasoning. - The sumac in za'atar provides the tartness that makes za'atar wa zeit more than simply herb-and-oil on bread.
Zaitoun