Growing up Arab means growing up with zaatar... the powerful paste that allegedly makes you smarter. Made up of ground thyme, toasted sesame, and drizzles of olive oil, it's a staple and sort of an obsession across the region.

This probably explains why zaatar often pops up in our online conversations, resulting in some pretty hilarious posts, to say the least. Here are a few of them:

1. This hilarious hit back to someone who doesn't have time for zaatar

Source: Twitter/KarlreMarks

2. Because we don't take insulting zaatar too well

3. Now you know that zaatar cravings are real

4. Tooooo real

5. Zaatar puns are everything

6. So are zaatar myths

Source: Twitter/leawithanh

7. There are also zaatar struggles, you know

8. And they're kind of legit

9. You're not Arab if this hasn't happened to you at least once

10. What connects Arabs everywhere, you ask?

11. Zaatar as a response to colonization

12. Zaatar over everything

13. One word: Zaatar

14. "Then achieve transcendence"

15. Need we say more?

16. When westerners started eyeing zaatar after hummus

17. Name a more iconic duo, we're waiting

18. Sometimes, it's that easy

19. Old recipes live on

20. Read the first tweet and you'll know where she went wrong