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Za'atar
Za'atar ( ; ar, زَعْتَر, ) is a culinary herb or family of herbs. It is also the name of a spice mixture that includes the herb along with toasted sesame seeds, dried sumac, often salt, as well as other spices. As a family of related Middle Eastern herbs, it contains plants from the genera ''Origanum'' ( oregano), ''Calamintha'' ( basil thyme), ''Thymus'' (typically ''Thymus vulgaris'', i.e., thyme), and ''Satureja'' ( savory) plants.Allen, 2007p. 237. The name ''za'atar'' alone most properly applies to ''Origanum syriacum'', considered in biblical scholarship to be the ezov ( he, אזוב ) of the Hebrew Bible, often translated as ''hyssop'' but distinct from modern ''Hyssopus officinalis''. Used in Levantine cuisine, both the herb and spice mixture are popular throughout the Mediterranean region of the Middle East. Etymology According to Ignace J. Gelb, an Akkadian language word that can be read ''sarsar'' may refer to a spice plant. This word could be attested ...
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Origanum Syriacum
''Origanum syriacum''; syn. ''Majorana syriaca'' (also ''Origanum maru'', although this primarily refers to a hybrid of ''O. syriacum''), bible hyssop, Biblical-hyssop, Lebanese oregano or Syrian oregano, is an aromatic perennial herb in the mint family, Lamiaceae. Etymology The plant may be called za'atar by association with its use in an herb-spice mixture. In Modern Hebrew, it is called ''ezov'', and it may have been the אֵזוֹב ''ezov'' of Classical Hebrew. In many English translations of the Bible, ''ezov'' is rendered as hyssop, hence the common name for bible hyssop, believed to be a different plant generally identified with ''Hyssopus officinalis''. The problems with identification arise from Jewish oral tradition where it expressly prohibits Greek hyssop, and where the biblical plant is said to have been identical to the Arabic word, ''zaatar'' (''Origanum syriacum''), and which word is not to be associated with other types of ''ezov'' that often bear an additional ...
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Sesame Seeds
Sesame ( or ; ''Sesamum indicum'') is a flowering plant in the genus ''Sesamum'', also called benne. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cultivated for its edible seeds, which grow in pods. World production in 2018 was , with Sudan, Myanmar, and India as the largest producers. Sesame seed is one of the oldest oilseed crops known, domesticated well over 3,000 years ago. ''Sesamum'' has many other species, most being wild and native to sub-Saharan Africa. ''S. indicum,'' the cultivated type, originated in India. It tolerates drought conditions well, growing where other crops fail. Sesame has one of the highest oil contents of any seed. With a rich, nutty flavor, it is a common ingredient in cuisines around the world. Like other foods, it can trigger allergic reactions in some people. Etymology The word "sesame" is from Latin ''sesamum'' and Greek σήσαμον : ''sēsamon ...
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Ezov
Ezov ( he, אֵזוֹב) is the Classical Hebrew name of a plant mentioned in the Bible in the context of religious rituals. In some English-language Bibles, the word is transliterated as ''ezob.'' The Septuagint translates the name as ὕσσωπος ''hyssop'', and English translations of the Bible often follow this rendering. The Hebrew word אזוב and the Greek word ὕσσωπος probably share a common (unknown) origin. In the Bible, ''ezov'' is described as a small plant found on or near walls, with an aromatic odour.''Jewish Encyclopedia'' Maimonides, Saadia Gaon and earlier Jewish commentators identified ''ezov'' with ''za'atar'', which may refer to various local herbs, including marjoram, oregano and thyme, which have aromatic and cleansing properties, grow wild in Israel, and can easily be bunched together to be used for sprinkling. The book of John in the New Testament (written in Koine Greek) mentions that ''hyssop'' was used, along with vinegar, to alleviate ...
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Hyssopus Officinalis
''Hyssopus officinalis'' or hyssop is a shrub in the Lamiaceae or mint family native to Southern Europe, the Middle East, and the region surrounding the Caspian Sea. Due to its purported properties as an antiseptic, cough reliever, and expectorant, it has been used in traditional herbal medicine. Description Hyssop is a brightly coloured shrub or subshrub that ranges from in height. The stem is woody at the base, from which grow a number of upright branches. Its leaves are lanceolate, dark green, and from long. During the summer, hyssop produces pink, blue, or, more rarely, white fragrant flowers. These give rise to small oblong tetra-achenes. History A plant called hyssop has been in use since classical antiquity. Its name is a direct adaptation from the Greek ὕσσωπος (). The Hebrew word אזוב (''ezov'', ''esov'', or ''esob'') and the Greek word ὕσσωπος probably share a common (but unknown) origin. The name hyssop appears as a translation of ''ezov'' ...
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Spice Mixture
Spice mixes are blended spices or herbs. When a certain combination of herbs or spices is called for in a recipe, it is convenient to blend these ingredients beforehand. Blends such as chili powder, curry powder, herbes de Provence, garlic salt, and other seasoned salts are traditionally sold pre-made by grocers, and sometimes baking blends such as pumpkin pie spice are also available. These spice mixes are also easily made by the home cook for later use. Masala Masala (from Hindi/Urdu ''masalah'', based on Arabic ''masalih''). is a term from the Indian subcontinent for a spice mix. A masala can be either a combination of dried (and usually dry-roasted) spices, or a paste (such as vindaloo masala) made from a mixture of spices and other ingredients—often garlic, ginger, onions, chilli paste and tomato. Masalas are used extensively in Indian cuisine to add spice and flavour, most familiarly to Western cuisine in chicken tikka masala and chicken curry, or in masala chai. Othe ...
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Spices
A spice is a seed, fruit, root, Bark (botany), bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish (food), garnish. Spices are sometimes used in medicine, Sacred rite, religious rituals, cosmetics or perfume production. For example, vanilla is commonly used as an ingredient in Aroma compound, fragrance manufacturing. A spice may be available in several forms: fresh, whole dried, or pre-ground dried. Generally, spices are dried. Spices may be ground into a powder for convenience. A whole dried spice has the longest shelf life, so it can be purchased and stored in larger amounts, making it cheaper on a per-serving basis. A fresh spice, such as ginger, is usually more flavorful than its dried form, but fresh spices are more expensive and have a much shorter shelf life. Some spices are not always available either fresh or whole, for exam ...
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Calamintha
''Calamintha'' is a genus of plants that belongs to the family Lamiaceae. Commonly called the calamints, there are about eight species in the genus (around 30 before revisions in taxonomy) which is native to the northern temperate regions of Europe, Asia and America. ''Calamintha'' species are used as food plants by the larvae of some ''Lepidoptera'' species including '' Coleophora albitarsella''. Species *''Calamintha ashei'' *''Calamintha baumgarteni'' *'' Calamintha caerulescens'' *''Calamintha coccinea'' *''Calamintha dentata'' *''Calamintha grandiflora'' - large-flowered calamint, an ornamental plant. *''Calamintha incana'' *''Calamintha nepeta'' **'' Calamintha nepeta subsp. nepeta'' *''Calamintha sylvatica'' - common calamint, a low-growing plant with a minty smell and lavender flowers. It prefers alkaline soil. The leaves can be used to make tea. Moved to genus Acinos *'' Acinos alpinus'' (formerly ''Calamintha alpina'') - the alpine calamint *''Acinos arvensis'' (form ...
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Saadia Gaon
Saʻadiah ben Yosef Gaon ( ar, سعيد بن يوسف الفيومي ''Saʻīd bin Yūsuf al-Fayyūmi''; he, סַעֲדְיָה בֶּן יוֹסֵף אַלְפַיּוּמִי גָּאוֹן ''Saʿăḏyāh ben Yōsēf al-Fayyūmī Gāʾōn''; alternative English names: Rabbeinu Sa'adiah Gaon ("our Rabbi heSaadia Gaon"), often abbreviated RSG (RaSaG); Saadia b. Joseph; Saadia ben Joseph; Saadia ben Joseph of Faym; or Saadia ben Joseph Al-Fayyumi; 882/892 – 942) was a prominent rabbi, gaon, Jewish philosopher, and exegete who was active in the Abbasid Caliphate. Saadia is the first important rabbinic figure to write extensively in Judeo-Arabic. Known for his works on Hebrew linguistics, Halakha, and Jewish philosophy, he was a practitioner of the philosophical school known as the "Jewish Kalam". In this capacity, his philosophical work '' The Book of Beliefs and Opinions'' represents the first systematic attempt to integrate Jewish theology with components of ancient Greek ...
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Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''.
Hebrew: ''Tānāḵh''), also known in Hebrew as Miqra (; Hebrew: ''Mīqrā''), is the Biblical canon, canonical collection of Hebrew language, Hebrew scriptures, including the Torah, the Nevi'im, and the Ketuvim. Different branches of Judaism and Samaritanism have maintained different versions of the canon, including the 3rd-century Septuagint text used by Second-Temple Judaism, the Syriac language Peshitta, the Samaritan Torah, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and most recently the 10th century medieval Masoretic Text, Masoretic text created by the Masoretes currently used in modern Rabbinic Judaism. The terms "Hebrew Bible" or "Hebrew Canon" are frequently confused with the Masoretic text, however, this is a medieval version and one of several ...
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Judeo-Arabic
Judeo-Arabic dialects (, ; ; ) are ethnolects formerly spoken by Jews throughout the Arabic-speaking world. Under the ISO 639 international standard for language codes, Judeo-Arabic is classified as a macrolanguage under the code jrb, encompassing four languages: Judeo-Moroccan Arabic (aju), Judeo-Yemeni Arabic (jye), Judeo-Iraqi Arabic (yhd), and Judeo-Tripolitanian Arabic (yud). ''Judeo-Arabic'' can also refer to Classical Arabic written in the Hebrew script, particularly in the Middle Ages. Many significant Jewish works, including a number of religious writings by Saadia Gaon, Maimonides and Judah Halevi, were originally written in Judeo-Arabic, as this was the primary vernacular language of their authors. Characteristics The Arabic spoken by Jewish communities in the Arab world differed slightly from the Arabic of their non-Jewish neighbours. These differences were partly due to the incorporation of some words from Hebrew and other languages and partly geographical, ...
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David Ben Abraham Al-Fasi
David ben Abraham al-Fasi ( he, דוד בן אברהם אלפאסי) was a medieval Jewish, Moroccan lexicographer and grammarian from Fez, living in the second half of the 10th century (died before 1026 CE), who eventually settled in the Land of Israel where he is believed to have composed his magnum opus. He belonged to the sect of the Karaites, and displayed skills as a grammarian and commentator. Al-Fasi was the author of ''Kitāb Jāmiʿ al-Alfāẓ'' ("The Book of Collected Meanings"), one of the earliest known Judeo-Arabic Dictionaries, a work which defines words in the Hebrew Bible. It is the first dictionary of biblical Hebrew. He classifies the roots according to the number of their letters, as did the grammarians prior to Judah Hayyūj. Method of elucidation Scholars have pointed out that David ben Abraham al-Fasi, in all the controversies between the Rabbanites (''rabbanim'') and the Karaites (''maskilim''), invariably sides with the latter, often criticizing th ...
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