the.com/sumac
the spice that tastes like lemon but isn't, ground from a desert berry
means A tart, lemony reddish spice ground from the dried berries of certain shrubs in the Rhus genus, used widely in Middle Eastern cooking — and also the name of the shrubs themselves.
from The word reached English through Old French 'sumac', borrowed from Medieval Latin 'sumach', which took it from Arabic 'summāq'. The Arabic is thought to be related to a Syriac word meaning 'red' — fitting, since the spice and the plant's autumn leaves both blaze a deep crimson.
- botanical cousin
- Related to cashews and poison ivy
- za'atar staple
- Gives the Middle Eastern blend its tang
- no citrus needed
- Berries deliver sourness without any lemon
- natural dye
- Used to tan leather and color fabric
- ancient seasoning
- Romans soured dishes with it before lemons arrived
sicilian sumac — protected pdo spice from sicily, italy, ground from rhus coriaria berries
sumac wildfire in california — wildfires named after sumac vegetation, like the 2021 dixie fire region
zagat sumac restaurant — upscale middle eastern restaurant in new york city using sumac as signature spice