Sumac – No Salt

Sumac is the dried and crushed berries of the Rhus Coriaria, a deciduous shrub native to southern Europe and Western Asia. It is a popular spice in Middle Eastern cuisines, with lots of use in Turkey,  where ours is from. Sumac has a tangy flavour with some hints of citrus, but very little in the way of aroma, which is unusual for a spice. Use it to pep up sauces, marinates and dressings or make your own spice blends (Zaatar uses Sumac, for example). It is also perfect for use in a wide variety of meat and vegetable dishes to add a little tart sharpness. In Turkey, you’ll often find Sumac on tables alongside the salt and pepper for seasoning foods.

Sumac is great for using in place of lemons and other citrus to add a tangy sourness to dishes, without the water content. Very handy for drier recipes! Additionally, our Sumac has no Salt with it, which is common when buying from Turkish Spice Markets. While Salt does enhance the flavours, we think that having the choice to add it can only be a good thing. We have a couple of other Middle Eastern spice blends on our site too – Shawarma and Ras-El_Hanout Spice Blends, if you’re looking for a taste of that region!

As with all herbs and spices, add a little at a time to get the flavour you want. You can always add more, but taking it out again can be impossible!