Sumac

Rhus coriaria

Also known as Sicilian Sumac, Tanner's Sumac, Elm-leaved Sumac, Sicilian Sumach

At a glance

Family

Anacardiaceae (the cashew and sumac family)

Type

Deciduous shrub or small tree

Parts used

Dried, ground fruit (the crimson drupes, often called sumac berries)

Size

3 to 10 feet tall, occasionally taller, often spreading into thickets

Bloom

Small greenish-white flower clusters in late spring to early summer, followed by dense cone-shaped clusters of red-brown berries in autumn

Habitat

Rocky, sun-baked hillsides, scrubland, and woodland edges across the Mediterranean, Middle East, and parts of Central Asia

Acquisition

Grow or buy

This plant in HerbSense

Key benefits

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Bright, tangy seasoning

Rich in antioxidants

Traditionally soothes digestion

Traditionally supports circulation

Traditional uses

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Long before lemons and limes were common across the Mediterranean, cooks reached for sumac to bring sour, bright notes to their food, drying and grinding the ruby-red berries into a tart, lemony spice. Ancient physicians, including Dioscorides, wrote of sumac as an astringent remedy, using it to calm upset stomachs and to help stop minor bleeding. Across Persia, the Levant, and Anatolia, the berries were steeped into soothing drinks for the throat and belly, a practice still echoed in home kitchens today. Its name traces back to an old Aramaic word for red, a fitting tribute to the deep crimson clusters that ripen each fall.

How to grow & use it

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Pairs well with

✦Za'atar (thyme, oregano, and sesame)
✦Hibiscus
✦Lemon balm

Substitutes

✦Lemon zest
✦Tamarind

Choose it when

“When a dish needs a bright, tart spark, without a single drop of lemon.”

Did you know?

Rhus coriaria takes its species name from the Latin for tanning, since its leaves and bark were once prized across the Mediterranean for tanning leather, long before anyone thought to dry its berries for the dinner table.

Safety

Culinary sumac is a different plant from poison sumac and is safe as a spice, though people allergic to cashews, mangoes, or pistachios should introduce it cautiously due to possible cross-reactivity. Medicinal-strength amounts beyond cooking may add to the effect of blood-thinning or blood-sugar-lowering medication.