From the producer:
Our spectacular cured sumac grows wild around Gaziantep, Turkey, where instead of being dried, it’s chopped and packed in salt to preserve it. It has a bright, sour, salty and slightly fermented flavor, and is one of our most popular spices among professional chefs and home cooks alike.
A classic Middle Eastern finishing spice, swap it for lemon juice in any recipe or use to add character and brightness to salads, fish, meat or dips. It also makes a perfect topping for anything from hummus to salad to roasted veggies or meat to scrambled eggs.
Bon Appetit called our cured sumac “tart and vivacious” and that it gives dishes “invigorating citrus-like finish (and a deep red-violet hue that you couldn’t dream up).” We agree.
Origin: Gaziantep, Turkey
Aliases: sumak
Process: Chopped, then packed in salt and cured
Ingredients: Sumac berries (Rhus coriaria), salt
Tasting notes: Sour Cherry • Salt & Vinegar • Sunny Acidity
Sprinkle on top of hummus, baba ganoush, or even eggs
Dust over roast or fried fish and chicken
Add to chopped tomatoes and cucumbers with a few glugs of olive oil
COOKBOOK PAIRINGS
Ottolenghi utilizes sumac to bring citrusy and astringent flavor to savory and sweet dishes alike. Try it in the Sumac-Roasted Strawberries with Yogurt Cream (p. 272) and the Shallow-Fried Potatoes with Rosemary and Sumac (p. 139)