When you come across sumac in the market or at the supermarket, it’s deep red, almost purple, color makes it hard to resist. But once you bring it home, what can you do with it?
The Middle Eastern spice has a bold citrus-like acidity, but despite its strong taste, it’s quite versatile. With that in mind, due to its typically coarse grind and unusual tone, if you use sumac in your recipe it will not go unnoticed, so don’t go overboard.
It’s quite commonly used as garnish on meat, bread, and fish, the latter in particular is great as a substitute to lemon juice. It has a similar acidity to lemons, but it’s less overpowering.
Another popular use of sumac is for making a marinade or a rub for meat, chicken, or fish. It does a particularly good job with fatty parts, giving a boost to the rich taste by contrasting it.
Sumac makes a great addition to some classic salads, and you can use it as seasoning for anything from a leafy green salad to Middle Eastern salads like fattoush or tabbouleh salad.
