Ground Sumac Berries

Ground Sumac Berries have a friendly, welcoming scent that lives somewhere between ripe raspberries and tart lemon. These ground berries, fruits of the Mediterranean red sumac, provide a vibrant red color and a straightforward, lemony flavor, accented with a touch of salt present from their processing, to dishes. Sumac contains 4% tannins by weight and pronounced acidity which comes mainly from malic acid. Their pH ranges between 2.5-3.5, which puts their acidity squarely between orange juice and tomato juice; these factors contribute heavily to sumac’s signature tart flavor.

There are two different types of sumac, white and red. Culinary sumac, which is what we offer, produces a red berry that is perfectly edible in any form. Red sumac, if you’re counting generously, can be found in hundreds of varieties all over the world, though some varieties of red sumac are culinary in name only, being too tart or too bland to eat. The second type of sumac produces a white berry and is exclusive to North America. The leaves and white berries of the North American sumac are poisonous and should not be touched or consumed under any circumstances.

Tips From Our Kitchen

Ground Sumac is best when added to the dish just before serving. Its tart flavor plays well off the brininess of feta cheese, so jump on the baked feta trend and top it with tangy sumac, or make a thick labneh—an easy yogurt cheese—and serve it with radishes and a sprinkling of sumac. Make Middle Eastern roast chicken with sumac and red onions, and pair it with a classic fattoush salad, a bread salad traditionally served with sumac dressing. Sprinkle over baba ghanoush before serving. Make “sumac lemonade” by stirring a tablespoon of sumac into a gallon of ice cold water. Add sugar to taste and serve over ice.

We also have whole Dried Sumac Berries available if you prefer to grind and process them on your own.

Ground Sumac Berries contain sumac berries and salt. Sumac berries are processed with salt to prevent fermentation from occurring; they contain less that 6% salt by weight.

Our Ground Sumac comes from berries grown in Turkey.

This product is certified kosher.

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