Sumac Berries: Citrus in a Seed
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SUMAC BERRIES: CITRUS IN A SEED STORY BY GAY CHANLER efore the Spaniards brought lemons to the New World, there was sumac. From Bprehistoric times to the present, the bright red, slightly fuzzy berries have provided indigenous cooks a tart, zesty seasoning similar to lemons. For modern western cooks, it’s the best local spice we haven’t discovered. Sumac grows all around the world and there are hundreds of species, some of them edible or useful in other ways. In the western United States Rhus trilobata, or three- leaf sumac, is the most widespread. Common English names include sourberry, squawbush, three-leaf sumac, lemonade berry, stinking sumac and skunk bush, due to the pungent odor in the leaves. In Navajo it is called chilchin. You may have never noticed it, but you can probably fnd a bush growing in a natural setting somewhere nearby. Nine varieties of Rhus trilobata grow wild in arid regions west of the Mississippi from Saskatchewan to northern Mexico in diverse plant communities from low deserts up to mountain terrain at 7,000 feet, in grasslands and chapar- ral; in pine, juniper and fr forests; oak woodlands, rocky slopes, season- al drainages, roadsides and waste- lands. Sumac grows in sun or partial shade, over a wide variety of soils. In the indigenous American diet, the berries have been used to make a refreshing beverage, sometimes referred to as the original pink lemonade. Ground up, the hulls are PHOTOS BY DEBBY WOLVOS DEBBY BY PHOTOS 14 Fall 2019 Edible Phoenix www.ediblephoenix.com added for piquancy to meat stews, or used to enhance corn Some I chose to dry completely and store in a jar for later dishes. use (see below). Some I used right away, infusing them in Beyond culinary uses, the ubiquitous sumac bush has warm water to make an infusion of pink “lemonade,” which is been deployed as a medicine. It is said to have antiseptic, easy to sweeten with prickly pear syrup, sugar, agave syrup antifungal and antioxidant properties and to be able to lower or honey. blood sugar levels in the treatment of diabetes (see Like lemons, sumac berries provide an all-around season- ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4232791/). ing. The infusion is a good substitute for vinegar or lemon For Navajo weavers it is used as a dye, and as a mordant juice. Sprinkle it on cooked greens or add a little to lentils or (color-fxing agent) for the dyeing process. The branches are beans for a little tang. used to make arrow shafts, loom rods, awls and other tools, Next I left the remaining berries to air dry on a plate for a and are stripped and split for basketry. few days until the skins became papery and faked of the seeds when rubbed between my fngers. Harvesting Sumac Then I ground the seeds by hand with a mortar and pestle During the spring as the leaves unfurled, I identifed until the red hulls separated from the smooth, rock-hard seeds. several Rhus trilobata bushes in the piñon-juniper forest near I then separated the hulls from the seeds by scooping and my house. sliding them on a tilted plate—the seeds tend to roll away from I had to look carefully because the three-leaved sumac does the hulls, which I then scooped up with a little plastic cake not stand out. A rounded shrub of three to 15 feet in height, scraper. its grass-green, slightly shiny leaves have three lobes that faint- Alert: Thinking that a blender would work faster I tried ly resemble oak leaves. The males do not bear fruit, but the putting the whole seeds in the jar and whirred them around female bushes blossom with tiny clusters of pale yellow until the red hulls separated from the seeds and became fowers that turn into berries. powder. However, I found that this method also chipped the I mostly found the fruiting bushes crouched under a piñon seeds into the mix, creating an unpleasant stony grit. pine or juniper tree, tangled in the company of prickly Emory Once the hulls were separated out from the seeds, I stored oak or Fremont barberry bushes. These sumac plants probably them in a glass jar, so they’d be ready to use as a seasoning and sprang from seeds dropped by birds, but they can also to make za’atar and chilchin. propagate by shoots from rhizomes, creating thickets of Ground fnely, sumac adds color and dimension to squash clones sometimes seen on roadsides or hilly slopes. dishes, hummus, chicken, shrimp or fsh. You may come to In central Arizona, the berries ripen in June. At their peak, fnd it as useful as salt. the clusters of eight to 12 sticky berries are easy to harvest. Over the course of a couple of weeks I leisurely gathered Gay Chanler is a professionally trained chef by trade, with an MA in about two quarts of berries. cultural anthropology from Northern Arizona University. A former Processing the Sumac Berries co-leader of Slow Food Northern Arizona, she currently serves on After picking, I cleaned out twigs, stems, leaves and other Slow Food USA’s Southwest/Mountain Ark of Taste Committee. foreign debris, washed the fruits in a sieve and spread them out to dry on a tray. In some areas of central Arizona another edible species, Rhus glabra, or smooth sumac, can be found in moist, well-drained soils and riparian areas. Tis variety has smooth bark, distinctive long pinate leaves and arching branches like staghorn sumac, and cone-shaped berry clusters, or bobs, which are easy to harvest and last through the winter. Unlike poison sumac, which yields a white berry, all the edible varieties of sumac have bright red berries. Sumac is in the Anacardiaceae family, as are cashews, mangoes and pistachios. If you are allergic to these foods, avoid sumac. For more information: plants.usda.gov www.ediblephoenix.com Edible Phoenix Fall 2019 15 RECIPES Southwestern Za’atar In the Middle East, ground dried sumac is the defining ingredient of the famous za’atar spice blend, used in the Levant as a dip for bread, for topping a flatbread called man’oushe and as a seasoning for meat, fish and vegetable dishes. While the sumac variety in that part of the world is different, a tasty za’atar seasoning can be made with our local Rhus trilobata or other varieties. Za’atar is the name of both the popular seasoning mix and a wild herb (also called hyssop, and similar to oregano or marjoram) native to the deserts of Palestine and the Levant. Za’atar has many recipe variations—each family has its favorite version—but always includes sumac, thyme and/or oregano, sesame seeds and salt. Sometimes marjoram, cumin or other herbs and spices are added. Recipes using za’atar abound on the Internet and in current Middle Eastern cookbooks. Some of my favorites are from the Israeli chef Yotam Ottolenghi. If you are a born forager, making za’atar at home is rewarding, especially using locally foraged sumac and your own homegrown, freshly dried herbs. It is a rich addition to the spice shelf and makes a nice gift from the desert. Here is the basic recipe: 4 tablespoons ground sumac 7 tablespoons dried thyme 2 tablespoons dried oregano 2–3 tablespoons toasted whole sesame seeds ½ teaspoon salt Optional ingredients: dried medium-hot chili flakes, sweet paprika, cumin, summer savory, marjoram. Grind all ingredients together. Add more sumac, salt or other ingredients to adjust to your taste. Sprinkle on pita chips toasted with olive oil or bread brushed with olive oil as a snack. Or add to vegetables such as roasted squash, chicken or baked fish. Makes 1 scant cup. Note: If this all seems too labor intensive, sumac is readily available at Middle Eastern markets such as Haji-Baba in Tempe, at Penzey’s and online from various sources. Because the sumac one buys commercially appears to be a darker, more brownish red, I suspect it comes from a variety other than three- leaf sumac—perhaps staghorn (an eastern United States variety) or smooth sumac, whose cone-shaped drupes are very easy to harvest. The taste is similar. Purchase high-quality dried thyme, oregano and sesame seeds, and you can make up a fresh batch to have on hand and share with friends. 16 Fall 2019 Edible Phoenix www.ediblephoenix.com Desert Sumac Lemonade ½ cup sumac berries 1 quart water, very warm but not hot Add berries to very warm, not hot, water. Do not boil the berries or the juice will be bitter. Let soak an hour or more, then squeeze and mash the berries between your fingers, or press with a potato masher to extract the flavor. Strain the liquid twice through a fine sieve into a glass jar or pitcher. It will keep refrigerated for a few days. Use in place of vinegar or other acid in marinades and dressings. Or sweeten and serve as a beverage. Sumac Spritzer 3 ounces sumac juice (dessert sumac lemonade) 6 ounces bubbly water 1 ounce prickly pear syrup 2 sprigs fresh mint leaves, lightly crushed Add ice cubes and honey, agave syrup, prickly pear syrup or sugar as desired. Add mint. Stir. Makes 1 serving. Sumac Pudding: Chilchin Great for breakfast. I have seen this made with flour but prefer the cornmeal for texture and flavor. 4 cups water ½ cup sumac flakes ½ cup stone-ground yellow or white cornmeal, medium grind 4 tablespoons raw sugar ¼ cup lightly toasted pine nuts In a bowl combine 2 cups cold water, the cornmeal and the sumac.