Sumac lemonade
The mysterious plant was indeed sumac, a Godsend for our forefathers and mothers who needed a lemony taste in their dishes but could not access lemons (either due to seasonal lack of availability or because they did not live in the coastal areas where citrus is grown). Sumac is dried and ground into a powder and keeps for many many months in a jar. If you buy it from a store, beware of the sumac that looks bright red. It should be dark, of a brownish hue otherwise, it has been dyed artificially. Sumac is used in hundreds of dishes in Lebanon and throughout the region; it is one of the components of zaatar in Lebanon and used also to flavor stuffings (for mehshis and kibbeh) as well as in dressing for fattoush. This recipe is from dear Asma, a Kurdish/Lebanese lady from the region of Mardin in Turkey. The sumac berries are soaked overnight then strained through a cheesecloth and mixed with grape molasses for a refreshing summer drink. The taste is peppery, a bit sour, and mellow from the molasses or honey. Today, I used powdered sumac simply because that is what is available in North America. INGREDIENTS: 1 serving
- 12 ounces of water
- 1 heaping tablespoon of dried powdered sumac
- 1 tablespoon of grape molasses or honey
- Place the sumac in the water, cover and leave overnight. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve or a cheesecloth or a paper towel set over a sieve; add the grape molasses or honey, stir and refrigerate. Drink ice cold for a refreshing drink. This drink is also supposed to help upset stomachs.
Comments
32 Comments • Comments Feed
Rosa says:
A very interesting drink! Healthy too.
cheers,
Rosa
On June 28, 2012 at 4:02 am
the indolent cook says:
I have some sumac at home, and it’s reddish like a wine. Not that bright, but not very dark and brownish either. Would you say it’s been artificially dyed?
On June 28, 2012 at 4:33 am
Joumana says:
@the indolent cook: No, I’d say you got the real thing! 🙂
On June 28, 2012 at 4:34 am
MyLittleExpatKitchen says:
What a wonderful idea, sumac lemonade!! I will be making this soon, Joumana.
On June 28, 2012 at 5:05 am
Belinda @zomppa says:
Ah! I could NOT figure what that was. What a unique lemonade!
On June 28, 2012 at 5:17 am
sare says:
Delicious…I love sour drink. I’ll try it. Thank you.
On June 28, 2012 at 5:36 am
deana@lostpastrememb says:
Love the stuff and use it often. I just got a zatar plant and am looking forward to making a bit of the mix. Why do they say zatar is made with thyme? This plant looks more like oregano and smells like heaven. I’m thinking using sumac in lemonade is a great idea!
On June 28, 2012 at 6:26 am
Joumana says:
@Deana: Thyme in the Levant is more like oregano in the US, or at least a certain variety of it.
On June 28, 2012 at 7:12 am
Yolanda says:
What a great and original idea, ideal for this time of the year! You amaze me with each and every post!
Love xoxoxoxo
PS comment is short, will dash to the kitchen to make this lemonade. 🙂
On June 28, 2012 at 6:54 am
Delphine says:
Awesome timing! I just got some sumac but I didn’t know what to do with it.
On June 28, 2012 at 7:16 am
Maureen Stewart says:
This sounds delicious – I use sumac for so many things, but I’ve never tried this before, though I’m afraid I’ll only have access to the powdered version here in Vienna… Love the pic!
On June 28, 2012 at 8:25 am
Nadji says:
Une limonade que je pourrai faire à Paris aussi.
Des ingrédients que je trouverai facilement.
A bientôt
On June 28, 2012 at 11:53 am
Manijeh says:
You can find grape molasses in California’s mid. eastern stores. I shop in one which is by the Armenians from Lebanon and they import the syrup in jars from Turkey. It is the real thing and very good.
On June 28, 2012 at 6:38 pm
Michelle says:
I’ve just discovered/used Sumac for the 1st time, and fell in love with it! This will be a fun drink to try.
On June 29, 2012 at 4:26 am
T.W. Barritt says:
I never realized that sumac had a lemon flavor. Now I will have to try it.
On June 29, 2012 at 6:05 am
weavethousandflavors says:
Joumana dear what a drink! This is completely up my alley as far as summer drinks go. And grape molasses sounds just marvelous seeing how I am in love with pom molasses – thanks to you!
chow 🙂 DEVAKI @ weavethousandflavors
On June 29, 2012 at 8:00 am
Ivy says:
When my son went to Dubai I told him to bring me some sumac and he brought me two kinds. One was labeled Sumac from Lebanon. Pity I didn’t know that I could use it in drinks as well. Love grape molasses.
On June 29, 2012 at 9:20 pm
Fuss Free Helen says:
I cannot imagine how this tastes, but know that once you have acquired the taste I bet is is so refreshing and delicious!
On June 30, 2012 at 3:59 pm
rebecca says:
cool love sumac use it often with chicken will give this a try
On June 30, 2012 at 9:56 pm
A Canadian Foodie says:
I have loved sumac for ages with the sour bright tang it has a little song to sing on the tongue and I find myself consistently addicted to whatever I eat with sumac in it. This is a great, very simple, delicious idea. I cannot wait to try it. I have both ingredients!
🙂
V
On July 1, 2012 at 12:48 pm
Hélène (Cannes) says:
Quant à cette boisson-là, je l’essaye au plus vite !
On July 5, 2012 at 12:22 am
Genevieve says:
I LOVE sumac, but cannot find pure sumac (no salt) that doesn’t cost and arm and a leg off-line. I’ve ordered some before, but was left with something that tasted stale and artificial. Do you have a favorite brand/ website?
On July 10, 2012 at 4:00 pm
Joumana says:
@Geneviève: Where do you live? I always found mine at the Middle-Eastern store in the US.
On July 10, 2012 at 8:39 pm
Genevieve says:
I live near Philadelphia, PA.. There aren’t really any middle-eastern stores around here, do you have any online suggestions?
On July 11, 2012 at 7:46 pm
Joumana says:
@Genevieve: there is a company Ziyad brothers, that distributes a ton of Middle-Eastern products and I believe they sell online as well.
On July 11, 2012 at 11:04 pm
Jealith says:
We have sumac trees that grow wild, is this the same thing? We always called it poison sumac.
On July 11, 2012 at 7:54 pm
Joumana says:
@Jealith: in the US the sumac bush is poisonous, so no it is not the same thing.
On July 11, 2012 at 11:03 pm
Antares says:
There is edible sumac all over the NE quarter of the US! Most of the edible sumac in the US is stagnorn sumac, and it’s fuzzy, not smooth, otherwise it’s about the same. Poison sumac has white drupes instead of red. I’ve been drinking sumac lemonaide for the last couple weeks since it ripened, all harvested from the roadsides!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhus_typhina
On August 8, 2013 at 9:26 am
Antares says:
Oh, here she mentions the other types of sumac that can also be used, and which grow in other regions!
http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/sumac-lemonade-zmaz09jjzraw.aspx#axzz2bOLrYNkT
On August 8, 2013 at 9:29 am
Cris Freitas says:
I was searching for this drink but I was founding only with the fruit till I find your recipe. Thanks for sharing such a healthy drink!
On October 13, 2019 at 8:53 am