3573 sumac

It can be a pernicious weed - no idea about the berries!!

The simplest method of control - if you are there all year - is to be brutal about chopping off every last bit of stuff which dares to show its head above ground, until it gives up the ghost (could be some years). I find this technique works well on brambles too. To dig the stuff out you really need an excavator - the roots get into such an impenetrable layer that a spade is pretty useless, and the stuff sprouts from every last little bit of root left in the ground. You have my sympathy!!

Sumac is a sour, bitter, tangy, citric sweet hard to describe kinda taste. As you rightly say Becky, it is highly prized and enjoyed in most of North Africa like Morocco, Libya and Egypt and in the Middle East, especially Iran and Bahrain.

The dark red berries are ground up into a coarse powder and although I have no idea what else is added, if anything, to "summaq" it is usually sprinkled on the plain rice that accompanies the richly flavoured meat and fish tagines. It's not very expensive and is used sparingly, but often.

I know you can mix it with thyme and sesame seeds and this version is called "zahtar" and is used on roast meats and kebabs. It's delish, but please don't make it yourself until you are sure of how to do it, cus I don't know if the berries are OK or you have to "do something" to them first before they are ground.

Could be a new business venture! The organic Italian 'spice merchant of Venice' style that Hugh Fernley-Wotshisname of River Cottage fame made a fortune with! Cut it down or make Sumac.. both seem like lots of hard work to me.

[FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="3"]the dried berries of [B]Rhus Coriana [/B]are the ones used to make the spice.There is another sort known as Poison Ivy in US ([B]Rhus Toxicodendron[/B]) .

The tart taste comes from the high tannins in the berries.

I cannot see it being terribly popular in Italy!!

Becky[/SIZE][/FONT]

[QUOTE=Relaxed]It can be a pernicious weed - no idea about the berries!!

The simplest method of control - if you are there all year - is to be brutal about chopping off every last bit of stuff which dares to show its head above ground, until it gives up the ghost (could be some years). I find this technique works well on brambles too. To dig the stuff out you really need an excavator - the roots get into such an impenetrable layer that a spade is pretty useless, and the stuff sprouts from every last little bit of root left in the ground. You have my sympathy!![/QUOTE]

I would go a bit further by spraying the stumps with a systemic weed killer. I hate blasting the whole area with this stuff and find it works best if you treat each plant separately anyway.

Which one are you growing? I was talking about Rhus coriaria (didn't know the proper name for it until I googled it) and you might be surprised to find it is sometimes used in Italy, mainly in the south and Sicily, which I guess is not so far away from north Africa, especially Libya, where I've eaten it many times, amongst many other "interesting" things. (Don't ask). :D

I also lived in Bahrain and believe me, hardly anything grows there except dates and ghat, so I guess they import it.

If you are growing the other one, you also have my sympathy.

[FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="3"]It's the Rhus Coriaria not the poison one I think that only grows in swamps.I will try to make some spice and report back.My sister's boyfriend is Moroccan so he can try it!

Becky[/SIZE][/FONT]

Oh, that's good, you have a guinea pig to test it on. :D

If your sister's boyfriend survives, ask him to show you how to make "harissa" if you like spicy things. It will blow your mind! :eek: