What the hell to do with sumac

[buns3000]

At some point, I must've needed sumac for something I was cooking. I can't remember what. All I know is I have this insanely huge bag of sumac (it was the only size in the shop) and I don't ever use it.

Can Dopers suggest any recipes that feature it or suggest anything I might put it in/on? I used to sprinkle it in my scrambled eggs for a while there but it wasn't quite right so I stopped doing that...

[WhyNot]

Try it anywhere you would normally use lemon juice or vinegar (for taste, not chemistry). It has a fantastic sour fruity tang that's great sprinkled on salads, fish, chicken and bean/lentil dishes. You can also soak it in water for about 10 minutes and then strain it. Use the juice as you would lemon juice.

You can also take the strained liquid and add it to a simple sugar syrup for sumac "lemonade" (it's best with fresh sumac berry juice, but good with dry extract.) Add vodka and that blue boozy stuff for a yummy grownup lemonade!

[buns3000]

Hey thanks, WhyNot. I felt for sure this would end up another one of my one-post threads.

[An Arky]

Unless sumac is something different in Australia than it is in America, I can reccommend making Dolma out of the leaves...boil them first, then make a rice/meat mixture and roll 'em up!

[aruvqan]

Great question.

Do you like hummus? One of my favorite things to do to get fancy is to pour the finished [or store bought hummus] into a lovely white serving bowl, and make a swirl pattern on the top with liberal use of sumac for one spiral, and fresh chopped parsley for another swirl so you get alternating bands of deep garnet, fresh green and beige in an overall 'whirlpool' pattern [google image 'gurges']

Use it to tint lemonaid pink.

sprinkle it along with toasted sesame seeds on saffron rice.

[Cluricaun]

Help fight some ignorance here....isn't sumac something that gives a rash like poison ivy or poison oak? I'm pretty sure that was something we were taught to watch out for in the woods when I was a kid. You can eat something like that?

[Contrapuntal]

Originally Posted by Cluricaun

Help fight some ignorance here....isn't sumac something that gives a rash like poison ivy or poison oak? I'm pretty sure that was something we were taught to watch out for in the woods when I was a kid. You can eat something like that?

Poison sumac.

Sumac

[Cluricaun]

Originally Posted by Contrapuntal

Poison sumac.

Sumac

Thanks.

[DesertDog]

If anyone wants to try some and can't find it locally, Penzey's has it in sizes from 1.2 oz to a pound.

[RhapsodyInBlue]

There's a Middle Eastern restaurant in my neighborhood that puts a shaker of sumac on the tables along with the salt and pepper. The waiters advocate sprinkling it on meat because, along with the taste, it has some cholesterol fighting properties.

They were very convincing. I bought a spice jar of sumac, but haven't used it as a meat condiment yet. It just doesn't seem to go with my meat dishes which are usually marinated in terriyaki or worstershire sauce.

[bouv]

Wow, I never realzied one could eat that crap. It grows all over the place around here (at least I'm pretty sure it's sumac, it looks like that picture.)

[Dr. Rieux]

Originally Posted by Contrapuntal

Poison sumac.

Sumac

Yma Sumac

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

[MissRancher]

I love sumac! I love putting it on white rice (at Persian restaurants since they're the only place I've been to that serves it). I do put it on the meat as well, but I notice it more on the rice. Mmmm yum!

[Equipoise]

Originally Posted by MissRancher

I love sumac!

Me too! My favorite album is Voice of the Xtabay!














What? Oh, not Yma...