daraeats

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Food Finds
  • Growing Things
  • About
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Food Finds
  • Growing Things
  • About
×
Home

Sumac

March 4, 2024 - Leave a Comment

Tart, lemony, crimson hued sumac is a much-loved Food Find in my pantry for good reason. A dried spice that packs a sour and fruity punch, similar but less acidic than lemon or vinegar, sumac has as many uses as you can dream up. 

An image of ground dried sumac in a bowl with a small spoon.
Jump to:
  • Where to find sumac
  • Ways to use sumac 
  • More Food Finds on daraeats

Culinary sumac is derived from the dried and ground fruit of the sumac plant, which appear as clusters of small red hairy berries on its namesake shrub. You have probably seen common staghorn sumac throughout many Canadian landscapes, and elsewhere, which according to one of my favourite spice purveyors, is similar to the Middle Eastern species of sumac used for culinary production.

Sumac is used in many cuisines across the Middle East and is a regular ingredient in many versions of za’atar, another long esteemed condiment of the region. Sumac is also an important ingredient in the Lebanese salad fattoush (or fattouche), and in my favourite fatayer sabanekh, triangular spinach pies rich with lemony sumac, amongst many other dishes.

An image of ground dried sumac on a small spoon and scattered in the background.

Where to find sumac

Sumac is readily found where spices are sold; you may find it at your local supermarket, certainly at stores that specialize in foodstuffs from across the Middle East, at specialist spice merchants, or at various online sources.

Many commercially available varieties of sumac are dried with salt, so this is something to note if you are adding a significant quantity to any dish or are eating less salt; wildcrafted and sun dried sumac without salt are available at some specialty vendors.

An image of sumac being sprinkled into melted butter.
A close up image of sumac and mint butter.

Ways to use sumac 

The wonderful thing about sumac is that it can be easily used to complement whatever dish you have prepared, even if it is not called for in the recipe. Like za’atar, I think of sumac as a spice that turns simple combinations of food into ‘dishes’. 

Simply sprinkled as a flavour enhancing topping on hummus, sprinkled into a marinade or onto a salad, or swirled into some cooked beans bolstered with olive oil, sumac shines as a sour, citrusy perk up where you might otherwise have used vinegar or lemon. 

While sumac is bright and tart, I find it can have floral and woody dimensions and is also less acidic on the tongue, making it a flavourful ingredient that brightens up any dish. Sumac also shines when featured as a key ingredient in a recipe, such as in a sparkling mint and sumac butter that tops a velvety lentil soup.

Of note for nut allergy sufferers: sumac is in the same family as cashew (!), so this may be something to be aware of if you are cashew or nut sensitive.

An image of lentil soup topped with sumac and mint butter.

More Food Finds on daraeats

  • An image of a corn zipper against a shadowy white background.
    Corn Zipper
  • A collage of images of different kinds of camping meal helpers featured in the article.
    Camping Meal Helpers
  • An image of frozen strawberries on a tray, that are going to be packed into silicone pouches to put into the freezer.
    An easy way to preserve summer's bounty
  • An image of date syrup being drizzled off a spoon over a full jar.
    Date Syrup

More to explore on daraeats

  • An image of a woman's hand holding a mason jar that has been frozen; frozen roasted tomatoes are visible inside.
    Freezing food in glass jars
  • An image of silken tofu in an open container, surrounded by green vegetables and ginger.
    Silken and Soft Tofu
  • Condensed coconut milk being used in a recipe.
    Condensed Coconut Milk
  • An image of dried kombu in its whole or stick form.
    Kombu

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Hi, I'm Dara! I’m a lifelong food explorer. I’m passionate about creating plant-forward recipes, discovering ingredients, gardening edible plants, and connecting with local food cultures. I approach life and eating with gusto, and I deeply believe in the magic of food to bring people together.

More about me →

Subscribe to the daraeats newsletter

* indicates required
/* real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups */

Intuit Mailchimp

Recent Favourites

  • Salted Peanut, Chocolate, and Date Bars
  • Warm Date, Ginger, and Orange Cake with Salted Vanilla Toffee Sauce
  • Leek, Potato, and Fennel Soup with Lemon (Instant Pot Friendly)
  • Grilled Mushroom and Burrata Toast with Red Onions, Garlic, Thyme, and Chili
  • Date and Tahini Delight
  • A close up image of Smoky Gnocchi.
    Smoky Gnocchi with Spinach and Goat Cheese

Footer

↑ back to top

All content on this site is created
by an actual human - me !

Copyright © 2025 daraeats