Épices Rœllinger Raw Spices<Sumac

Sumac is a shrub belonging to the family Anacardiaceae. Sumac grows in Turkey, Syria and Sicily. There are several botanical varieties of sumac. The variety in North America are different from the varieties in Europe and around the Mediterranean Sea. We work with the variety ‘Rhus coriaria’ from Egypt.
In ancient times, sumac was a spice appreciated by the Romans who imported it from Syria. Later, the culture of sumac was developed in Sicily and in the South of Italy until World War II. Sumac berries and leaves contain tannic acid, which was needed for leatherworking by tanneries. learned name of sumac. If sumac has been popular and traditional in the Middle Eastern cuisine for a very long time, Europe is enjoying a recent craze for its use in the kitchen.
Sumac comes from the Arabic word ‘summāq’ which means ‘red’. Sumac berries, which are about the size of a peppercorn, turn bright purple-red when they reach maturity on the shrub.

The sumac we work with comes from Egypt and Lebanon.

The berries are dried, sorted, and they are then crushed. It is easier to use ground sumac than whole berries which are hard and oily.