Sumac Ground

Sumac is a spice that 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, and naturalized to most of the United States. 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. It is rather like cranberries with its fruity tart taste. Try it on meaty game fish for a real taste sensation. The sumac is a relative of poison ivy, its leaves can cause painful skin reactions but its berries do not.The price is per ounce.