An ancient spice often found within Middle Eastern cooking has begun to make its way to the West. This spice is known as sumac and it is made from bright red berries. Typically, it is dried until it is a purple color and then ground up. It tastes slightly lemony and is a great spice to sprinkle on salads, pizza, and any kind of meat dish. Sumac also has a lot of great health benefits.
Anti-Inflammatory
Berries, in general, are known to have anti-inflammatory properties, especially goji, acai, and blueberries. Sumac is known to be one of the most powerful anti-inflammatories. As an antioxidant, it has the ability to fight free radicals which can cause a variety of non-communicable diseases and visible signs of aging.
Adding it to Your Diet
Now that you know how great sumac is, it’s time to start adding it to your diet. You can cook with it, which is how most people like to use it. Or, you can make sumac lemonade with it. As it already possesses that lemony flavor, mixing it into your favorite lemonade is a great way to get all of the anti-inflammatory benefits. All you need is some ice, water, homemade sumac syrup, and some lemon juice.
