What spice can take your dish on a Middle Eastern journey in one fell sprinkle? Sassy Sumac! Well, actually it’s marketed as Sumac, I just added the sassy.
Velveteen red/purplish in color, sumac is from a berry that is native to the Mediterranean. The spice is actually a relative to poison ivy, though it’s nonpoisonous and completely safe to eat. So, you get to pretend to live dangerously with no side effects! Sumac adds a tangy, lemony flavor to your dishes, sort of doing a double duty of lemon and vinegar at the same time. A huge plus is unlike other exotic spices like saffron, it only costs about 3-4 dollars for an 8 ounce jar.
Sprinkle sumac to add pep to your salads, mix in with aioli for an exotic dip, rub on a chicken before roasting for a serious elevation in flavor. And here is a bonus—Sumac has some super health benefits, like promoting healthy digestion, easing upset stomach, reducing feverish symptoms, and containing antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Shoot, with an impressive list like that why not sprinkle this wonder spice on chicken soup and do away with meds all together next time you suffer from a cold?
I love this dish! The Sumac adds just the right flavor to the chicken & onions!! Thanks!
Yes this is one of my favorites too Helen! Thanks for stopping by! 😉