Sumac Spice - Uses in Middle Eastern Cuisine and Health Benefits

Not to be confused with the poison sumac plant that flourishes in North America (although it is a close relation), sumac spice comes from berries harvested from a bush that can be found in the wild all across the Mediterranean. Sumac spice figures heavily in Arabic cuisine, as well as many other Middle Eastern countries such as Turkey, Greece and Lebanon. It is often substituted for lemon or vinegar in many dishes due to a more favorable tart and tangy flavor.

If you have no experience with Arabic or Lebanese food, than you probably have not heard of sumac spice, but it worth seeking out in ethnic markets as it can be employed for many culinary uses, and contains a few health benefits as well.

To make sumac spice, the small berries are first harvested, dried and then crushed, but can also be used fresh, mashing them to use the resulting sumac juice to flavor various dishes and sauces.

Often utilized in Arabic, Indian, and Lebanese cuisine as a rub on meats and kebabs, it can also be added to marinades, soups and stews, rice dishes, casseroles, salad dressings, dips, and many other dishes for additional elements of flavor. It can also simply be used on the table as a condiment to replace salt and pepper.

You can purchase sumac spice in a ground form or as whole dried berries in many ethnic markets and grocery stores. It may be much harder to find fresh sumac berries in America, and more common in Middle Eastern territories, where the sumac berries are found in abundance.

A number of recipes using sumac spice can also be found on the internet, such as Sumac Garlic Mayonnaise, a sumac spice blend called Za'atar (also known by other names depending upon the region it is made), and marinades or spice rubs using sumac spice. The recipes for Za'atar vary greatly according to different regions of the Middle East, but most commonly contain sumac spice, thyme, salt, fennel, and other spices and herbs such as cumin and oregano. The combination of many herbs and spices delivers quite a bout of nutritional and medicinal properties and health benefits.