Ingredient: Sumac
The trifecta of Lebanese spices in my pantry includes za’atar, cinnamon, and sumac. Some versions of za’atar get citrus notes from sumac mixed with roasted thyme and sesame seeds. Sumac powder is made from pulverized dried sumac berries, and the spice has been ramping up Middle Eastern dishes, it seems, since the beginning of time. It’s an ancient spice, with a flavor that is tangy, lemony, bright—not surprising, given its bright red hue.
Buying sumac (SOO-mahk) can become a little precious—meaning: pricey—depending on where you buy it. Middle Eastern grocery stores, where sumac is right at home, sell big plastic containers of it at low prices.
When sumac leaves its humble beginnings and steps out into the wide world, it gets packaged in little spice jars and becomes an exotic wonder at a much different price point. I remember when I was living in Chicago and ran out of rose water. No time to make the hike up to the Middle Eastern market, so I tried my local Treasure Island. They had my rose water alright, but it was in a tiny blue bottle with a pretty, yet somehow irritating, label from France. The price tag was $12. Sometimes that can be worth it, especially if you’re in a pinch or if you’re after a particularly beautiful or special or organic version of a product. But a typical 10 oz. bottle of Lebanese rose water is under $5.
The upside of keeping even a small jar of sumac on hand is that it may not get used up all that quickly. Sumac can be a sprinkling spice, giving a shake of lemony flavor to hummus or chicken. But the primary function of my sumac is its classic taste and color atop a fattoush salad. We’re making a great big bread salad, in true Lebanese style, this week and our great big container of sumac is standing at the ready.
8 Comments
Leave a Comment
I'm so glad you're here! You'll find among these pages the fresh and classic Lebanese recipes we can't get enough of! My mission is to share my tried + true recipes -- and to help our Lebanese food-loving community keep these culinary traditions alive and on the table. What recipes are you looking for? Let me know!
Maureen,
you know the feeling like when you see something and you instantly know you won’t have peace until you find it?
🙂
Tlaz
Yes, yes!!
Is the wild sumac the same stuff so one could make their own? The seeds from the wild so make a good interesting drink.
I believe so Roger! The drink does sound interesting. My friend Cindy asked if a kind of lemonade is made with sumac, so this must be the drink. Citrus-y.
Euell Gibbons (don’t know if you’re old enough to remember him) talks about sumac berries in “Stalking the Wild Asparagus” p. 91 in conjunction with making elderberry jelly. He mixes half and half. Also uses it for drink but doesn’t say how much sugar to put with it. I know I’ve done it before back when he was popular but don’t remember the exact formula I came up with. He talks of pounding the berries, but I remember putting them in a blender then straining them.
You are one fascinating dude, Roger!!!! If you make this, please keep me posted…..
Looks like the drink is fairly common at least with a search of the net. I guess it was a Native American drink.
https://www.grouprecipes.com/46734/indian-lemonade.html
Ingredients
1 quart of sumac berries
1 gallon water
maple syrup or honey (to taste, optional)
How to make it
Bring water to a boil
Place sumac in a large teapot or non-metal container
Pour boiling water over the sumac
Steep for 20minutes – 2 hours
Strain through cheesecloth or a coffee filter
Enjoy over ice
And there it is!! Thank you!