The Sumac Factor in Middle East and Chinese Spices
Like we already know the Middle East has been influenced by many cultures throughout its history, we also need to acknowledge how this amalgam of a region boasts of one of the most derivatively rich cuisines, enriched with spices and the essence of the journey of food in general. Spices travelled in caravans across trade routes that were treacherous, some were collected along the way and they all reached ports like Alexandria and Constantinople, from where they travelled across the world. One such spice is Sumac, which was originally a North African and Sicilian harvest, and later it made its way to the Middle East and Indian Spice markets.
Before we go about discussing the sumac spice and how it totally revolutionized the Arabian cuisine, let’s clarify that we aren’t talking about the sumac seed, which is actually a light poison, and can harm the human body. The one we’re talking about is violet in colour and in spiced and ground form is used to give a tangy taste to certain dishes depending on the requirement. The word itself is derived from summak which means ‘dark red’ in Arabic. It grows in a berry form in wild bushes and was originally discovered in Sicily. In the present day, it is a very popular spice in area of Iran and some hilly parts of Turkey. Apart from use in regular food, sumac is also quite a champion in the field of medicine, as it is used as a digestive powder mixed in water. It also acts as a re-hydrating agent, when mixed in water, in case of fever and similar symptoms.
Due to its tangy taste, it is extensively used in dishes where a little sour flavour goes a long way in making it memorable. Even ordinary daily food items like rice, fish, lamb, etc. can turn into exotic chef’s special like dishes with sumac in them. Even in salads, use of sumac is quite common as freshly ground sumac exponentially increases the taste of fresh fruits and vegetables. Because it grows as berries in wild bushes, sumac grows well in poor soil, which means that even without proper care, this is one spice that can survive all kinds of weather and harsh conditions. In the list of Middle East and Chinese Spices, sumac might actually be the most potent spice, as a very little quantity of it can totally change the taste of any ingredient.
Although it grows without any special care in most regions, the western world has yet to experience the proper effect of this Middle East spice as most of the so called Arabian or Middle Eastern eateries all across Europe and the Americas use concentrated lemon powder as a replacement. Although it does give the tangy sumac effect, it cannot however manage to recreate the original taste of the actual berry. So in case any readers are planning to savour a sumac based meal in some neighbourhood restaurant, make sure they use the real thing.
