What is Sumac?

Food is magical, isn’t it? It can instantly transport you to a poignant memory or a land far, far away. I particularly enjoy the far-away-land aspect because these days our traveling has been cut down quite a bit. Ahh, kids.

So when my sister-in-law gave me a slew of authentic Turkish ingredients for Christmas, I was thrilled to go on my next cooking adventure.

One of the gifts I received was a package of Sumac (also Sumack, Sumach.) Now, I am certain I’ve tasted Sumac in many of the meals I’ve consumed at Middle Eastern restaurants over the years, but I never really paid attention to the intricate flavors within each meal. I just ate it. And it was good.

In fact, how often do you taste the spices that you cook with before they are added to the dish? When I looked at the package of Sumac I thought, ‘mmmm, Sumac!’, but really I had no idea what it tasted like or how to use it. So I decided to investigate.

The non-poisonous species of Sumac (Rhus coriaria) that we consume comes from a plant indigenous to the Mediterranean region. The plant produces small, red fruits that are dried and crushed to form a beautiful, reddish-purple spice commonly used in cuisine throughout Greece, Turkey, North Africa and the Middle East.

But what does it taste like? Well, I stuck my finger in the stuff and took a lick of it. To my surprise, it was light, refreshing and tangy. By the looks of it, you would think the flavor would be richer, earthier, even spicy. It actually tastes like dried lemon flakes if there is such a taste. This makes sense as the seasoning has been used as a souring agent in dishes like kebabs, hummus, salads and even lemonade-like beverages for centuries.

Finding Sumac at your local grocery is the tricky part. If they don’t carry the spice it usually can be found at smaller, gourmet food shops, Middle Eastern stores or even online like here.

So that’s the smack on Sumac. I hope your cooking will take you some place wonderful…