The Sour Power of Sumac

In nature, one man’s pest is another man’s pearl. Dandelions are often considered pesky weeds; nettles seem a most unlikely side dish; and sumac may look like just another roadside shrub. To the resourceful, however, all of these plants are desirable not only as food, but also as medicine.

Cooks from many countries, including Turkey, Italy, and Israel, have revered sumac berries ( spp.) for more than a thousand years. And yet, the fruits are hardly something from which to make a meal or snack; they’re smaller than gooseberries, contain almost as much pit as fruit, and have very little fragrance. They aren’t even sweet! What sumac berries do have going for them is a brilliant brickred to purple-burgundy color, a tart and tangy taste,