Sumac

Like lemons but without the juice, ground sumac berries bring a zesty, citrus note that is fundamental to the cuisine of Levantine countries such as Syria, Lebanon and Israel.

Shop Cooks' Ingredients Sumac

Sprinkle over bowls of Levantine dips, such as houmous and tzatziki.
Use it to add a note of citrussy tartness to salad dressings.
Sprinkle as a finishing touch over robust Levantine salads, such as fattoush or tabbouleh.
Stir Sumac through a mix for Middle Eastern kofta meatballs to enjoy with flatbreads and yogurt.
Mix with oil and use as a marinade for lamb, white fish fillets, pork ribs or chicken.
Use it in baking – it works surprisingly well in chocolate brownies.

Persian-style chicken with sumac & lemon

This marinade also works well with salmon fillets and lamb chops. Finely chop the skin from a few preserved lemons, mix in a roasting tin with crushed garlic, plenty of Sumac, a dollop of both rose harissa paste and tomato purée, and a good slug of pomegranate molasses and olive oil. Season, then massage into deeply-scored chicken thighs and chunks of aubergine. Marinate, covered in the fridge, if time. Roast in a hot oven, adding chopped tomatoes towards the end of cooking, until the chicken is sticky and golden, with juices that run clear and no pink meat. Scatter with coriander and serve with couscous and pomegranate seeds.

Sumac is made from the ground dried fruit of the sumac tree, a subtropical shrub that is a member of the cashew family. It’s also been traditionally used in medicine and as a dye.

Sumac

Like lemons but without the juice, ground sumac berries bring a zesty, citrus note that is fundamental to the cuisine of Levantine countries such as Syria, Lebanon and Israel.

Shop Cooks' Ingredients Sumac

WHAT DOES IT TASTE LIKE?

Fragrant and astringent, fruity and floral, it brings a characteristic taste of the eastern Mediterranean wherever it’s used.

easy meal idea

Persian-style chicken with sumac & lemon

This marinade also works well with salmon fillets and lamb chops. Finely chop the skin from a few preserved lemons, mix in a roasting tin with crushed garlic, plenty of sumac, a dollop of both rose harissa paste and tomato purée, and a good slug of pomegranate molasses and olive oil. Season, then massage into deeply scored chicken thighs and chunks of aubergine. Marinate, covered in the fridge, if time. Roast in a hot oven, adding chopped tomatoes towards the end of cooking, until the chicken is sticky and golden, with juices that run clear and no pink meat. Scatter with coriander and serve with couscous and pomegranate seeds.

TIPS, TRICKS & HACKS

Sprinkle over bowls of Levantine dips, such as houmous and tzatziki.
Use it to add a note of citrussy tartness to salad dressings.
Sprinkle as a finishing touch over robust Levantine salads, such as fattoush or tabbouleh.
Stir Sumac through a mix for Middle Eastern kofta meatballs to enjoy with flatbreads and yogurt.
Mix with oil and use as a marinade for lamb, white fish fillets, pork ribs or chicken.
Use it in baking – it works surprisingly well in chocolate brownies.

Sumac is made from the ground dried fruit of the sumac tree, a subtropical shrub that is a member of the cashew family. It’s also been traditionally used in medicine and as a dye.