Sumac
Also known as: sumac spice, Sicilian sumac, tanner's sumac
The deep-red, ground berries of a wild shrub in the cashew family, sumac brings a tart, fruity, and lemony acidity with a warm, tannic edge, used across the Middle East to add a bright, tangy lift and a crimson color to meats, salads, dips, and breads.
Tart, fruity, and lemony with a warm, tannic edge and a clean, bright acidity...
Rhus coriaria
spice
Pairs Well With
Sumac is the deep-red, ground berry of a wild shrub in the cashew family. It delivers a tart, fruity, and lemony acidity with a warm, tannic edge, used across the Middle East to add a bright, tangy lift and a crimson color to meats, salads, dips, and breads, and prized in traditional medicine for its antioxidant-rich, vitamin C-laden profile.
Sumac's bright, tart character comes primarily from organic acids such as malic and citric acid, which give a clean, lemon-like acidity without the aromatic oils of fresh lemon. Tannins add a warm, astringent edge, while fruity terpenes including limonene and pinene provide subtle citrus and herbal top notes, and anthocyanins give the berries their deep-red color.
SUMAC
MALIC ACID
tart | fruity | green
The dominant acid; gives sumac its clean, green-apple, lemon-like tartness and bright acidity.
CITRIC ACID
tart | citrus | sharp
Adds a sharp, citrus-like acidity that deepens the lemony character.
TANNINS
astringent | warm | earthy
Provide a warm, slightly astringent edge that gives sumac its tannic backbone and complexity.
LIMONENE
citrus | fresh | lemony
Adds a fresh, citrus top note that echoes the lemon-like acidity of the acids.
ANTHOCYANINS
color | fruity | berry
Give the berries their deep-red color and contribute subtle fruity, berry-like notes to the aroma.
Sprinkle Raw
Use sumac raw as a finishing spice over salads, dips, meats, and breads to preserve its bright, tart aroma and deep red color.
Rub onto Meats
Rub sumac onto fish, chicken, or lamb before grilling to season the surface with a tart, lemony crust.
Stir into Dressings
Whisk sumac into marinades and dressings to add a clean, fruity acidity and a warm, tannic depth without liquid.
Grilled meats
Sprinkled over lamb, chicken, and kebabs for a bright, lemony tang and a crimson crust.
Salads and dips
Dusted over fattoush, hummus, and baba ganoush for a tart, fruity finish and a pop of red.
Fish and seafood
Rubbed onto fish and seafood before grilling for a tart, lemony acidity without liquid.
Flatbreads and breads
Scattered over flatbreads and za'atar blends for a tangy, aromatic crunch.
Marinades and dressings
Stirred into marinades and dressings for a clean, fruity acidity and a warm, tannic depth.
Powder
Ground sumac is ready to sprinkle over salads, meats, and dips, but its tart, lemony aroma and red color fade within months; buy in small quantities and use fresh.
Whole
Whole dried berries keep their bright, tart flavor and deep red color longer than the powder and can be ground fresh at home or simmered whole in stews and brines for a tart, fruity acidity.
Sumac is a spice derived from dried, ground berries (whole or coarsely ground) with unique botanical and culinary properties.
Botanical Name
Rhus coriaria
Also Known As
sumac spice, Sicilian sumac, tanner's sumac
Major Flavor Compound
Malic acid
Parts Used
Dried, ground berries (whole or coarsely ground)
Non-Culinary Uses
Sumac is used in traditional medicine for digestion, inflammation, and as an antioxidant, and its high tannin content makes it a traditional dye and leather tanning agent.
Method of Cultivation
A wild, drought-tolerant shrub that thrives in dry, rocky soils across the Mediterranean and Middle East. The berry clusters are harvested when deep-red and mature, then sun-dried and coarsely ground, often with a little salt to preserve color.
Commercial Preparation
After harvest the berries are cleaned, sun-dried, and coarsely ground, often with salt to keep the bright red color. They are sold as whole dried berries or as a coarse, deep-red powder for cooking and spice blends.
Sumac has seasoned Levantine and Middle Eastern cooking for thousands of years, its deep-red berries prized as a souring agent long before lemons reached the region from Asia. From the courts of the Abbasid caliphs to the tables of modern Lebanon and Iran, sumac's tart, lemony tang has lifted grilled meats, fattoush salads, hummus, and flatbreads, its crimson color as prized as its bright, fruity acidity under the name 'summaq', the ancient word for red.
Sumac is native to the Mediterranean and Middle East, and is wild-harvested or cultivated across Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Iran, and the Mediterranean basin.
Growing Regions
Primary Sources:
🇹🇷 Turkey
🇮🇷 Iran
🇱🇧 Lebanon
🇸🇾 Syria
🇲🇦 Morocco
🇺🇸 United States
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Recipes with Sumac
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