The Makhne Yehuda Market & Za’atar
After a three-week school trip in Israel I’m finally back in the states! I hope that everything has been fantastic with you – I’ve missed reading your blogs and finding out what’s going on in your world. I’ve also greatly missed writing here and am beside myself with glee at having easy access to a computer again. Woohoo! The blog addicts among you understand yes?
I have much to share but this is going to be a relatively brief post because I have yet one more conference to attend and there’s a lot to get done before I head back to the airport. This time it’s only a four day trip, however, and within the United States at that. Most importantly I’ll be in the same time zone as my husband, which is far easier to manage than the seven hour time difference we juggled while I was in Israel. I’m leaving Sunday morning, but before I go I wanted to share some of my trip to Israel with you. Hence, this post is about two things: the Makhne Yehuda market I fell in love with in Jerusalem, and za’atar, a delicious spice mixture.
There were many things I loved in Israel, but one of my favorites was the market on Makhne Yehuda street in Jerusalem. If you have never been to a middle eastern market before it is quite an experience, with crowds of people bustling, an amazing array of colorful items for sale, and fearless vendors shouting in Hebrew or Arabic. You can find pretty much anything your food-loving heart desires here: from exotic spice mixtures and enormously lush grapes to freshly caught fish and breads or pastries that have just been taken out of the oven. I loved visiting the spice stalls with all their vibrant colors and heady aromas, and was especially taken with the nut mixtures that Israelis add to their rice. (You can see an example of these nut mixes in the photos above.) Shoppers can also find clothes, kippot, and huge candy stalls covered from top to bottom in neon colored confections. (The colors are so bright you could say the shops glow.) My favorite item to buy here were chocolate bars that have ‘pop rocks’ added to them. These bars are so much fun to eat because not only is the chocolate scrumptious, but the crackling sound that engulfs your mouth can’t but bring a smile to your face. The bar is made by the Elite Candy Company, whose other chocolate bar varieties include: hazelnut, strawberry and the bubbly, aerated chocolate featured here. Needless to say, I brought back several bars of the pop-rock variety to share with my 5th grade students.
One of the many things you can find in the Makhne Yehuda market is za’atar, which is the green mixture you see in the first photo above. A combination of sumac, toasted sesame seeds and other spices such as thyme, it’s popular in Israel and throughout the Middle East. Technically za’atar is the name of a specific plant, which was the ‘original’ spice used in food. But over-exploitation nearly eradicated the herb so picking it is now against the law and herb mixtures are used instead. The Lebanese believe that za’atar makes the mind alert and the body strong, so children are often given a za’atar sandwich for breakfast before taking an exam at school.
I hadn’t realized this before returning to the States and researching za’atar online, but there is actually debate about what the “right” mix of ingredients is to achieve the “correct” za’atar. For instance, one site wrote:
- In Arabic “zaatar” is used to describe not one plant but a family. It includes hyssop varieties, thyme varieties, etc. For example thyme is “zaatar romi” (roman zaatar), and oregano is “zaatar ach’dar” (green zaatar) and so forth. Zaatar can also be the name of hyssop or a varied mixture of herbs….The ingredient which gives the mixture it’s saltiness is “zaatar parsi” … a rare plant similar to wild thyme with purple flowers.
After much reading and comparing of recipes, I’ve concluded that the za’atar recipe listed here is the closest ‘from scratch’ approximation to what I brought back from Makhne Yehuda. Serving wise, za’atar is frequently served with olive oil as a spread or is used to flavor meat and vegetables. My favorite way to eat it, however, is spread over small rounds of pizza-like bread. Nearly everywhere you go in Israel you can find a baker who has mixed za’atar with olive oil, spread it over dough, then baked it to a golden brown color. The result is a light bread that’s delicious on it’s own or dipped in labne, a tangy yogurt made from goat or sheep’s milk. Indeed, I enjoyed this bread/spice combo so much that as soon as I got home I began trying different ways to recreate it. The first two attempts with different kinds of dough weren’t so spectacular, but then – success! Aside from the fact that I shaped my bread into a rectangle instead of small rounds, the recipe below is near exact replication of the baked goodness I enjoyed while wandering around the streets of Jerusalem. You can, of course, divide the dough into four smaller portions and create rounds before baking too. 
Za’atar on freshly baked bread
Alright, I’m off to repack my suitcase. I suppose this entry wasn’t so brief after all eh?
Za’atar on freshly baked bread
Ingredients:
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- A pinch of sugar
- 2 1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil + 1/6 cup
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Cornmeal, for sprinkling
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Za’atar. Either premixed or made from scratch. (Instructions for making it from scratch here.)
// Edit: Also, Saveur Magazine recently pointed out this website, which sells a few za’atar mixes.
Pour the warm water in a small bowl. Sprinkle the yeast, sugar and 1 tablespoon of the flour over the surface of the water. Stir until dissolved and let stand at room temperature until foamy, about 15 minutes.
In a large bowl, place 2 tablespoons of the oil, salt, 1 cup of flour, and the yeast mixture. Whisk hard until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon until a soft, sticky dough that just clear the sides of the bowl is formed.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and vigorously knead to form a springy ball, dusting with flour only 1 tablespoon at a time as needed to prevent sticking, about 3 minutes. The dough should be quite soft, smooth, and very springy.
Form the dough into a flattened ball and place in a greased deep container. (Grease it with about 1 tsp of olive oil.) Turn once to coat the top and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature until tripled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.
Grease a small baking sheet (about 9 x 5 or half of a 17 x 11 inch sheet) and sprinkle with cornmeal. Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Use the heel of your hand to press and flatten the dough. Lift and gently pull the dough, stretching it to the baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Meanwhile, mix 1/6 cup of olive oil (half of a 1/3 cup measure) with 1 1/2 tablespoons of za’atar. Let sit 30 minutes at room temperature.
Twenty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Using your knuckles or fingertips, gently poke indentations all over the dough surface no more than 1/4-inch deep. Brush the herbed oil over the dough, letting the oil pool in the indentations. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until nicely browned. Remove to a cooling rack and let cool in the pan.
The bread recipe in this post is slightly adapted from “Herbed Focaccia Bread” as listed in The Bread Bible, by Beth Hensperger.
45 Responses to “The Makhne Yehuda Market & Za’atar”
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Hi Ari,welcome back!! Loved reading abt Israel! Last night I made Falafel, which I heard is popular street cart food in there!Loved the pics.Take your time and relax before visiting us,no problem!:)
Looking forward to reading more about your adventures! And thanks for the challah recipe – I tried making it for Christmas and it was delicious.
Welcome back! It was so nice to read your post – Looking forward to hearing more about your visit!
Welcome back!
Paz
Thanks everyone! And Anne, I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the challah recipe.
Excellent to have you back!
My favourite part of any new/foreign place is the market, there’s just so much to discover there!
It is so good to have you back!
I missed reading your posts. Loved the recipe and market photos you just posted , the market visits sound very, very interesting. Looking forward to hearing alot more of your adventures and discoveries . Hoping you relax a bit for now , and take care on your next trip.
Welcome back–I love the pictures, everything looks so good!
Welcome back!!! I absolutely love the pictures!! I’ve missed reading your posts!
Ari, it’s so good to have you back! Yay!!
The pictures are fantastic and your post too.
I have a friend who makes Labne at home, she gave me the recipe but I haven’t tried it yet.
We missed you around here, dear!
Welcome back from your trip! And I’m in a bread-baking phase right now, so this is perfect!
Glad to see you made it back safe and sound. I can’t wait to hear more about your trip!
welcome back! i am so jealous of your travels and the amazing food you got to eat!
Yay! You’re back!!! I was beginning to go through some serious withdrawls here.
I love these photos, the market looks like a great place to visit. And the bread recipe looks delicious!
Welcome back, Ari. Looking forward to reading more about your trip. This za’atar bread is wonderful; I buy it from a local market where the owner makes it fresh every day. Za’atar has a surprisingly lemon flavor — it doesn’t look like it should, but both the thyme and the sumac are kind of lemony. It’s delicious!
Welcome home! We missed you! Can’t wait to hear more details of your trip, particularly if the above post on the market and Za’atar is any indication! Happy New Year, too!
Welcome back! This is a great post – I love learning about spices used in different cuisines, and it’s interesting to see what reputations these also have! I hope that I’m lucky enough to one day experience a real middle-eastern market, I’ve heard about and seen their beauty in photographs, but imagine that they in no way compare to the real thing!
It is great to have you back! Looking forward to more details of your travels.
Welcome back Ari! I’m glad you had a good trip. Did you see the snow? I love hearing about the shuk from your point of view, it’s easy to start taking it for granted. For me, Mahane yehuda really has the most raw Jerusalemness you can find anywhere. It’s very real. Keep the stories about your trip coming.
No I missed the snow Timi! I was in Haifa when it snowed and by the time we got back to Jersualem it had all melted already.
glad you’re back and the food looks great! i’ve heard of those poprock chocolates before… how fun! you are busy busy!
Your pictures are beautiful. hope your trip was fabulous!
Yay! You’re back! Almost! The pictures are amazing. Some of them are so vibrant that the don’t even look real!
Hey…welcome back cool kid! Wish we had some of that heat out here
Welcome home!
Fascinating as always Ari, we’re so glad that you’re back!
I can just smell it now…mmmm! And from the pictures, I think I could live in that market place and be completely content with life. Welcome back. I am compelled to try this, if only to get a taste of the Holy Land.
Much Love
Welcome back!
Congratulations on being able to recreate the spice and bread that you wanted to eat, Ari. You’re very talented. I’d never have been able to do that.
Welcome back to the States. I look forward to hearing more about the Middle Eastern foods you encountered.
I love it! This bread looks fabulous.
Ari,
fantastic post! I want to see that Makhne Yehuda!!! And the za’ata you described has all the excellent flavors that I die for… I’m closing my eyes and dreaming of going to Israel tonight!
I have to tell you Ari, I have learned so much about Judaism and Jewish things from you. I’m really looking forward to the other recipes you are going to share with us – shakshuka? That sounds exotic!
What fabulous pictures! I’ve never tried za’tar but I found it listed at Penzey’s Spices. I may have add a small jar to my next order and give it try. Your pictures reminded me of the markets in Kuwait. Lots of color, people and interesting things.
You make Jerusalem sound like such an amazing place, now I want to visit.
I’m glad you had such a wonderful time.
YAY!! Welcome back!
Glad to have you back in the states again, but I’m LOVING the market post. Your students are very lucky, indeed!
Shash
Awesome! That bread looks great, I want to try za’atar!
Glad to have you back ari. Can’t wait to see what you’ll be baking next!
Welcome back! This marketplace sounds wonderful–all the spices and different food items!
Wow, thank you for all the comments! I have a post in the works for this weekend. Sorry for waiting so long, I’m playing catch up with classes, but I’m looking forward to posting and visiting your sites!
Who knew Israel could be so culinarily cool?
Spices are the best. Spices on fresh baked goods is even better!
It is great to have you back. We have all missed your writing and wonderful recipes. These photos are amazing. I would have never thought Israel could be so fascinating.
Hey Chica-dee! I didn’t know you were away but I’m glad you had a good time. I LURVE pop rock chocolate! I wonder if they still sell them around here…
I lived in Jerusalem 15 years ago and was OBSESSED with the Za’atar bread and spice we bought every day outside the Old City. In fact, a friend and I once bartered an offer to push one of the vendors’ heavy bread carts up a steep, cobbled road in exchange for a handful of the tasty little rounds. I’m almost embarassed to admit that out of all the wonderful and memorable people/places/things about such an amazing place, those simple little pieces of bread and the spice wrapped up in newspaper are still some of my fondest recollections. I’m kicking myself for not thinking of searching for this spice sooner than now, but here it is! Can’t wait to try it! Thanks for the great post!