Za'atar is two things at once: an herb, and the blend named after it. Both come from the Levant, along the eastern Mediterranean. The herb is a species of oregano, Origanum syriacum, and the blend pairs it with sumac, toasted sesame and salt. It tastes earthy and herbal up front, tart through the middle and toasty at the end.
Is za'atar an herb or a spice blend?
Both. The word names the plant and the mix built around it, which is why a label can be confusing. On our Za'atar Cashews the herb is listed as "Za'atar Herb (Origanum Syriacum)", with the botanical name in parentheses so you know exactly which plant is in the bag.
Blends differ from kitchen to kitchen and brand to brand, so the label is the only way to know what you're getting.
What to look for on a za'atar label
The herb named, ideally down to the species · Sumac for the sourness · Sesame, usually toasted · Salt you can see on the list · No filler you can't identify
Where does za'atar come from?
Za'atar belongs to the Levant, and it has traveled with the people who grew up on it. You don't have to go far from our kitchen to see that: in Queens, it's on the counters of immigrant bakeries in neighborhoods like Astoria.
What does za'atar taste like?
The herb leads: earthy and green, with the warmth you'd expect from an oregano. Sumac brings the sourness, a bright lemony tartness with no lemon in it. Toasted sesame rounds it off with a nutty finish, and salt holds the three together.
It's savory without being heavy, which makes it easy to eat a handful at a time.
How do you eat za'atar?
Manakish is the classic: flatbread baked with a thick layer of the blend. At home, try it over eggs, yogurt, roasted vegetables or anything that came off a grill.
Our Za'atar Cashews are built for the same table. Put them out with olives and labneh, or pour something crisp and white.
Why do we use za'atar?
Our recipes start with flavors people grew up on, from New York's everything bagel to Sri Lankan curry leaf to Levantine za'atar, and we cook them the way those kitchens would, with nothing a home kitchen wouldn't use.
Za'atar also earns its place on a cashew. A cashew is mild and a little creamy, so it lets the herb and sumac lead instead of competing with them. We roast whole cashews in New York maple syrup, and as the water cooks off the syrup sets into a thin coating that holds the za'atar in place. The maple adds a toasted note underneath, and the roasted sesame doubles it. You can read more about that in why we roast in maple syrup instead of seed oil.
There are no seed oils in the bag and no other added oil. If you want to know why that matters on a snack label, start with how to spot seed oils on a snack label.
Za'atar Cashews contain tree nuts (cashews) and sesame. Made in a facility where wheat/gluten, soy, tree nuts, eggs, dairy, shellfish, peanuts and sesame are present.
On a Sivaro label
Sivaro Snacks is a small-batch nut and dried fruit brand in Queens, New York. Our nuts are roasted in New York maple syrup with no seed oils, our dried fruit has no added sulfites or dyes, and every ingredient is on the label.
Za'atar Cashews. Cashews, Maple Syrup, Za'atar Herb (Origanum Syriacum), Sumac Spice, Roasted White Sesame Seeds, Unrefined Sea Salt, Rice Fiber, White Vinegar. Eight ingredients, and the herb is named down to its species.
If it doesn't belong in a home kitchen, it doesn't go in the bag.
Taste the blend
Try Za'atar Cashews, or pick any three flavors in Build a 3-Pack and save 10%.
More from Read the Label: the full index.
Last reviewed: October 17, 2026