What’s Sumac Spice? – Sharon Palmer, The Plant Powered Dietitian

Questioning about sumac spice? Aromatic sumac is a conventional, colourful spice from the Center East, which may add wealthy taste and colour to your cooking. Be taught all about sumac spice on this information.

After I consider the Mediterranean, vivid colours, daring flavors, and vibrant aromas instantly come to thoughts. If I shut my eyes, I can simply image myself sitting on a veranda overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, feeling the tender winds blowing off the shoreline, and slowly savoring a tasty deal with. International foodways and cultures have at all times been an curiosity of mine, and the rainbow of different cultural spices by no means ceases to please my palate. And aromatic sumac spice is one among my favourite conventional spices, with it’s deep wealthy crimson colour and taste that fits Mediterranean cooking completely.

What’s Sumac?

Sumac seasoning is a type of spices that appears simply as intriguing as its identify suggests. In truth, the identify “sumac” was really derived from the Aramaic phrase “summaq”, which means darkish crimson, as sumac is a crimson or purplish-red powdered spice made out of the berries of sumac. Sumac is most generally used at present within the Center East and the Mediterranean, significantly in international locations resembling Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, and Sicily. It initially got here from Greece, and remains to be evident in Greek cooking, as floor sumac is used as a rub for grilled meals, and as a flavoring for stews, pita wraps, salads, and rice and vegetable dishes. Sumac can be utilized in za’atar, which is a conventional Center Jap mix of herbs, sesame, and salt. Try one among my favourite recipes utilizing za’atar here.

All through historical past, the Romans used sumac juice and powder as a souring agent, whereas the Native Individuals would collect crimson sumac berries from the sumac plant and dry them for a meals supply over the winter. One of the well-known makes use of for sumac is in fattoush salad, which is a Center Jap salad with lettuce, tomatoes, grilled pita and a sumac dressing. Try my Fattoush Salad in my new guide California Vegan. Sumac is native to components of the Mediterranean, the Center East, and North America.

There are two types of sumac, and it’s necessary to know the distinction as a result of one selection is toxic. The toxic model has white berries and hangs in clusters, wanting just like white grapes. When contacted with the pores and skin, it produces a blistering crimson rash just like that produced by poison ivy. The non-poisonous number of sumac has crimson berries that grows on the finish of branches, which is the one used for spice.

Sumac Well being Advantages

Sumac spice could have dietary advantages, which have been explored in analysis research for the previous few years. One particular study, published in the Journal of Food Biochemistry, investigated the antioxidant capability of water extracts of Sicilian sumac, together with extracts of quite a lot of different spices, together with barberry, cardamom, black pepper, crimson pepper, fennel, laurel, turmeric and nutmeg. Among the many examined spices, sumac had the very best antioxidant capability. Another study that was revealed within the Iranian Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis reported that individuals with kind 2 diabetes may be capable of achieve well being advantages by including this spice to their diets. On the finish of the three-month trial interval, sufferers who had been taking 3 grams of floor sumac each day had considerably decrease ranges of blood glucose, apolipoprotein B (“dangerous ldl cholesterol”) and HbA1c (a marker of blood glucose management over time). On the finish of the trial, the sumac group additionally confirmed elevated ranges of whole antioxidant capability and apolipoprotein A-I (a element of “good ldl cholesterol”). Analysis additionally has proven that sumac is wealthy in gallic acid (which has anti-fungal, anti-viral, and most cancers preventing properties), and quercetin (an anti-inflammatory agent with anti-cancer results).

What Does Sumac Spice Style Like?

There are numerous nice methods to make use of this beautiful spice in your day-to-day cooking, as sumac has a splendidly refined lemony style that correlates superbly with a seasoned rub, and is most probably to be loved sprinkled over heat bread or a salad with olive oil. It additionally might be substituted for chili powder in lots of recipes as a consequence of their comparable colours and textures. Regardless that you will not be as acquainted with sumac, it’s positive to boost any meal! You possibly can buy sumac at well being meals shops, connoisseur meals outlets, or on-line shops.

For different blogs on plant-based cooking, try the next: 

10 Essential Plant-Based Cooking Tips
Benefits of Cast Iron Cooking
5 Simple Plant-Based Cooking Strategies