Sumac

For Chris Clarke

I try to remember to take a picture of sumac in the fall each year, because I know my friend Chris likes it. And I do too.

----------

The weekend away made me miss two days of posting here, so I've already blown my daily November commitment. But perhaps, like fasting in Ramadan, I can make it up later! I took this picture on our way out of the city on Saturday; it was such a beautiful clear day and we spotted a big ship in the port. "Go ahead!"  I said to J. "Let's take a detour and you can take some pictures." Of course, I did too. This is on the south shore of the St. Lawrence, near Longeuil, looking back toward Montreal.  Can you smell the wet earthiness of the mossy bank, mixed with the scent of dry leaves in the sun?

Comments

[Susurra]

Hi Beth, when I opened your page and started to scroll down, the picture had not fully loaded on this slowboat of a laptop, and I got one of those odd photo extensions on your sumac where the lower portion suddenly presented what looked like a long string of Japanese paper cranes. I thought you'd enjoy the transformation.

[Hattie]

I always loved the way sumac held on to its color in the midst of the winter gloom in Wisconsin. Very nice photo.

[Bunmmy]

place looks calm and relaxing.

[Lorianne]

I love sumac leaves, too, so I'm glad you posted these.

[Aleppo]

We use Sumac quite a lot in cooking. Is this a plant that produces the berries?

[Beth]

Hi, Aleppo, thanks for writing! I think the sumac that's used in za'atar, for instance, is similar -- but I'm not sure. The Iroquois made a tea out of the "fruit" (big red conical clusters of blossoms) of this plant that tastes something like lemonade; it does have that astringent citrusy flavor.

[Chris Clarke]

The sumac used in za'atar is Rhus coriaria, which is in appearance substantially similar to the North American staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina).

And thank you, Beth: I've been thinking and dreaming about the Old Country fairly often these days, and this little infusion of sumac is just what I needed. However, Thistle says he hasn't gotten his oak leaf yet.

[Beth]

ooo, the oak leaf may be a problem! Not too many oaks nearby, except up on the mountain. But you've given me a good excuse to go for a hike and see if there are any left! Happy late fall, Chris, and thanks for the info and links about Rhus coriaria.

To be strictly accurate, the main ingredient in za'atar is thyme, but some mixtures also have sumac in them. Plain sumac, a coarse red powder, is sprinkled on salads and on kebabs, especially the kind where ground meat is patted onto skewers and grilled. It adds a wonderful lemony flavor.