Friday, August 14, 2009

Sumac Spice


Sumac is a popular spice commonly used in Middle Eastern cooking.The spice comes from the dark, red berries of the sumac shrub which commonly grows wild in Middle East and Mediterranean countries where it is dried before later use.Sumac can be used whole, crushed, or ground but it is normally found in ground form.Sumac has a lemony, tart taste and provides a souring element to recipes.It is used in a wide range of dishes from salads, flat breads to grilled fish and meats.It is one of the key flavorings for the Palestinian dish Musakhan(chicken sprinkled with sumac served on toasted Arabic flat bread with onions and olive oil) and is one of the main spices in the zaa'tar spice mixture.

2 comments:

  1. does Sumac have any salt in it?

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  2. Hi,
    Sumac comes from the dried berries that have been ground of the sumac shrub which grows throught regions of Northern Africa and the Middle East.It does not contain salt per se but some of the recipes which call for sumac also call for salt.

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