Sumac Berry and Powder Profile
Also known as
Rhus aromatica and coriaria, Fragrant Sumac, and Sweet Sumac. Not to be confused with other poisonous varieties.
Introduction
Sumac as a spice comes from the berries of a wild bush that is native in all Mediterranean areas, especially in Sicily and southern Italy, and parts of the Middle East, notably Iran. It has also been naturalized to most of the United States, and was known to Native Americans. Sour and astringent, sumac berries are used in place of lemon peel in Lebanese and Turkish cooking. Sumac juice is added to salad dressings and marinades and the powdered form is used in stews and vegetable and chicken casseroles. A mixture of yogurt and sumac is often served with kebabs. Zather is a blend of sumac and thyme use to flavor labni, a cream cheese made from yogurt. The sumac is a relative of poison ivy its leaves can cause painful skin reactions but its berries do not.
Constituents
Calcium maleate, fatty oils, tannins, anthocyanins, and organic acids (malic, citric, and tatric acid plus smaller amounts of succinic, maleic, fumaric and ascorbic acid).
Parts Used
Berries, either used whole or dried and crushed to make a reddish-purple powder.
Typical Preparations
Usually used in cooking. Whole berries can be soaked in warm water for 2 hours and then mashed to release a lemon-like juice. Or the berries can be freshly ground and sprinkled in dishes directly.
Summary
Sumac berries are gently diuretic and laxative. In Arabic and Unani herbal medicine, sumac is used in herbal combinations to reduce fever. The Romans used the juice to add a tart flavoring to foods, and to treat digestive complaints. Native Americans and Appalachian settlers used sumac for a number of medicinal purposes, including fevers, colds, and skin diseases. The bark was used for basket weaving, and the leaves, seeds, roots and berries for making different colored dyes for cloth.
Precautions
Not recommended for those with a history of liver or kidney conditions. Make sure to distinguish between edible sumac and the poisonous varieties. Poison sumac has white berries, while edible sumac berries are red.
This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
