What’s Sumac?

I grew up consuming sumac, although for many of my life I had no concept what the burgundy powder was referred to as or simply how highly effective it may be. If there was a Center Jap dish on the desk (which most nights, there was), it was virtually all the time completed with sumac. My mother sprinkled it on all the things from hummus to babaganoush, and it served as a colourful ingredient in quite a few meat-based dishes. I ate it with gusto whereas concurrently being oblivious to how important the flavour was to no matter I used to be consuming. 

Whereas sumac was an ingredient principally unknown to a majority of Individuals, it has since grown considerably in recognition. Its brilliant, tart taste is a vital part of many Center Jap and Mediterranean dishes, but it surely’s a flexible spice that can be utilized in a spread of dishes and cooking types. 

Using sumac goes again 1000’s of years, with foundations in each Levantine and Native American cuisines. To assist us study extra about sumac—together with what it’s, the place it comes from, and methods to use it—we talked to Alyse Baca, culinary director at Spicewalla, Reem Assil, chef and founding father of Reem’s California in San Francisco, Manal Nasan, founding father of the spice firm Re7het Falasteen, and creator and agroecologist Gary Nabhan.

What’s Sumac?

Sumac is a small, fuzzy drupe that grows in clusters on bushes within the genus Rhus, which comes from the Anacardiaceae family—the same family as pistachios, cashews, mangoes, and mastic (a resin utilized in Greek, Turkish, and different Mediterranean meals). Sumac bushes develop within the Mediterranean, Africa, Asia, and throughout North America (there are even sumac bushes in locations like Central Park in New York Metropolis). Nevertheless, sumac crops that yield white berries, or have pink stems and shorter leaves are considered poisonous. 

The identify comes from the Arabic word “summaq,” which interprets to “pink.” As a result of numerous species of sumac are native to a couple of continent, its precise origins are tough to determine. Sources declare origins in Sicily, Turkey, and Iran, for instance, and that is with out acknowledging the separate story of North American species. “It is probably not unusual for a set of crops to rib the Mediterranean within the mountainous areas after which prolong into the mountains additional east,” says Nabhan, whose work focuses on hyperlinks between biodiversity and cultural variety. 

The fruit was utilized in each historical and medieval Europe and across the Mediterranean not solely as a spice, however as a dye and for medicinal purposes. The Romans additionally relied on sumac as a supply of tanginess earlier than lemons discovered their means into Europe. “There weren’t lemons very early on in Europe, so sumac was a main strategy to season most meats, fish, and greens with a candy, bitter, and tangy taste,” says Nabhan. 

Indigenous peoples in North America also used sumac to treat ailments, in addition to to make a refreshing sumac “lemonade.” “In English, [it’s known as] the lemonade berry,” notes Nabhan of some species of the plant. He explains that sumac crops have been rising in North America for 1000’s of years, and though they’re a special species from these discovered within the Mediterranean, their profiles are related. At this time, nonetheless, most commercially offered sumac has been imported from the Center East. 

Sumac is harvested, sun-dried, and could be bought entire, however is extra usually offered floor as a seasoning. Floor sumac is made by grinding the fruit—both utilizing a machine or the extra conventional methodology of stone-grinding—to a rough, deep pink powder. 

Manal Nasan, who’s accustomed to sumac harvesting in Palestine, notes that some farmers combine their floor sumac with just a bit little bit of wheat flour to tame the sourness. In Palestine, they’ve a sort of sumac referred to as ballady, which is floor sumac in its purest type. “Ballady means genuine,” says Nasan. She notes that whereas they do promote each varieties in Palestine, the ballady model tends to be costlier.

Find out how to Purchase and Retailer Sumac

Whereas it was that you would solely discover sumac in specialty and Center Jap markets, in recent times, it’s extra available at your on a regular basis grocery retailer. Nevertheless, you should still wish to head to these specialty markets to be sure you’re getting the very best quality product. 

Entire sumac could be onerous to return by, however you should purchase it online. When purchasing for the bottom spice, Alyse Baca advises searching for “that signature brilliant crimson shade”—which signifies the berries have been harvested at peak ripeness and floor comparatively just lately—and tasting it, if attainable. “It ought to style tangy and brilliant, with a robust floral aroma,” she says. Sumac is usually floor on the coarser facet, which she prefers. “I feel the coarseness creates a pleasant texture,” she says, with the bigger items releasing extra taste as you chew it.

Reem Assil echoes Baca’s notes about shade. “That crimson, virtually pink to purple, eggplanty sumac is the perfect,” she says. “I do not need my hen to look brown, I would like it to look brilliant purple. Individuals eat with their eyes, proper?”

Like most spices, sumac needs to be stored in a cool, darkish, and dry place like a cupboard or drawer. Good high quality sumac will last as long as a yr earlier than shedding its taste. 

Find out how to Prepare dinner With Sumac

Along with its Native American makes use of, sumac is usually used throughout the Center East and the Mediterranean, in locations like Turkey and Greece, to season meat and greens. It’s a key ingredient within the Palestinian dish of msakhan, giving the onions their shade, and can be an necessary element of za’atar. “It pairs effectively with something that might use just a little kick of acidity,” says Baca, making it extremely versatile. 

The spice is extremely helpful for including tang and tartness to dishes with out having to additionally add further liquid like lemon juice to a dish, which makes it a fantastic possibility as a flavoring in wetness-prone salads—many containing juicy elements like cucumbers and tomatoes—reminiscent of fattoush. “Not solely does it add this lovely shade to issues, but it surely provides an acidity with out having to place a liquid in one thing,” says Assil. 

Alongside related strains, it is a really perfect spice for use as a garnish or finisher—a final little sprinkle for pops of taste and visible influence. Each time my mother makes hummus, she serves it in a shallow bowl and garnishes it with an ornamental sample of sumac, pickled cucumber, and olive oil.

Past its position as a flavoring agent, there may be each anecdotal proof and some research indicating sumac could be employed as a meat tenderizer, due to energetic enzymes that assist break down powerful connective tissue like collagen. 

Whereas there are many conventional makes use of for sumac, it by no means hurts to get inventive within the kitchen. In fact you should use it on all the things from eggs and French fries to chips and popcorn, however its purposes can go even additional. “I really like utilizing sumac in baking,” says Baca. “The citrusy taste works superbly with berries.” 

Assil has discovered yet one more unconventional use for sumac by tossing candied pomelo rind in a mixture of sumac and sugar to make a sweet-and-sour candied fruit.“I’ve a love for bitter sweet,” she says. “It virtually takes the place of citric acid within the candied issues. And it’s fairly, that hue of pink.” Assil notes that sumac can be a wonderful accompaniment to pomegranate seeds when tossed with them as a snack or a topping for salads and different dishes. 

I can’t consider sumac with out serious about my mother’s dwelling cooking, and which may be why it has so simply discovered a spot in my spice cupboard. However now that I’m cooking in my very own kitchen, I’ve discovered simply how far a sprinkle of sumac can go in virtually something that might use a brilliant, tart kick—the chances are countless.