The Middle East is the culture that had me at breakfast. Savory, fresh, and herbaceous—brimming with Mediterranean and desert fruits, sun-grown vegetables, artisanal cheeses, seedy whole-grain breads, homemade jams, and, of course, spring herbs: parsley, mint, dill, cilantro, fennel fronds and more. Shakshuka spans the Middle East—one dish, many roots, infinite fire. My version, like many across the Arabic world, is seasoned with ras el hanout—a spice mix that changes with the hands and histories of those who make it. Mine is an imprint of everywhere I’ve been in the Middle East—marked by memory, experience, political, economic, and social timestamps. This herb salt holds one pure truth: there’s nothing more common or comforting across the Middle East than an Arabic-style breakfast. And it’s the starting point for my daily rebellion—because we must wake, nourish, and rise for what’s good, just, and righteous. Knowing: we have more in common than not. My friend Rafi first taught me this at his restaurant, Miriam, where I had my first shakshuka nearly 25 years ago. Use this salt to open thought—toward people, religions, and herb-forward breakfasts. Try it on eggs, frittatas, tomato salads, grilled asparagus, cucumber, spring breads, or even bagels and cream cheese with tomato. Frozen croissants? Yes, that too.