African Sumac Food Uses

The African sumac is an edible fruit that can be used in several ways. In earlier cultures, beer was created by crushing the sumac fruit, adding water, and than allowing the mixture to ferment for a short time period. In a similar process the fruit can be used to create a sweet juice like beverage called sumac-ade, Indian Lemonade, or rhus juice. The fruit is soaked in cold water for a long time to allow the active principle to dissolve into the water. The resulting liquid is strained through a cotton cloth and sweetened for the final product. Indian tribes have also been known to combine the sumacs leaves and fruits with tobacco for a flavored tobacco mixture. In Middle Eastern countries, the fruit's thin layer of skin can also be grounded into a fine red powder and used as a spice in salads and soups. The powder supposedly has a sour taste.

Food information attributed to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumac-


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