Sumac has a pleasant tart flavor that is often used as a rub or marinade or sprinkled on fish, chicken, over salad dressings, rice pilaf, raw onions or over hummus.
It can be substituted in the place of lemon.
It is considered essential in Middle Eastern cooking where it was used as an acidic component to dishes before the introduction of lemons by Romans.
The sumac spice can also be blended with onion for a great appetizer or added along with wild thyme in a seasoning
Sumac is used extensively with the traditional Palestinian dish of msakhan / musakhan.
