Question re Sumac and/or Zaatar

Merkin

A lot of recipes I have seen recently (as well as Australian Masterchef!) feature Sumac. It is supposed to have a deliciously lemony Middle Eastern flavour so I'm looking forward to getting some online and cooking with it. However searches of Sumac also bring up Zaatar and I'm wondering if these are one in the same or how do they differ? If someone can shed light on this I'd appreciate it! Also if you've ideas on how to get the best out of it and what it works well with I'd appreciate it! Thanks

Gordon

I'm not quite sure what sumac is exactly, sorry, I think it could just be a single spice. Zaatar, however, is yummy, it's sometimes called something like Green Thyme or similar. It's got thyme, oregano, sumac apparently, and sesame seeds (wikipedia). If you do manage to find zaatar (tricky, even in arabic shops) it's very quick and easy to make mana'eesh. I just get proper arabic bread, pop a slathering of zaatar onto the bread and pour olive oil and mix it about, then bake until warm, roll up and eat like a hot dog. I used to live in the middle east and the smell of freshly baked mana'eesh was gorgeous.

What you would make with sumac, not sure, sorry!

Cavehill Red

Sumac is a spice made from ground and dried berries. I brought a load back from Turkey once and went looking for recipes. Goes well sprinkled on roast chicken, especially kebabs with some lemon juice, and is traditionally sprinkled on top of fresh hummous.
I ended up sprinkling it over roast potatoes, throwing a pinch or two into soups and stews, basically using it all over the place.

Merkin

Gordon wrote: »

I'm not quite sure what sumac is exactly, sorry, I think it could just be a single spice. Zaatar, however, is yummy, it's sometimes called something like Green Thyme or similar. It's got thyme, oregano, sumac apparently, and sesame seeds (wikipedia). If you do manage to find zaatar (tricky, even in arabic shops) it's very quick and easy to make mana'eesh. I just get proper arabic bread, pop a slathering of zaatar onto the bread and pour olive oil and mix it about, then bake until warm, roll up and eat like a hot dog. I used to live in the middle east and the smell of freshly baked mana'eesh was gorgeous.

What you would make with sumac, not sure, sorry!

Wow, thank you! I lived in Saudi too when I was little and am always looking for that taste of the Middle East so I will be getting this - FYI it's easy to get on Amazon if you happen to be looking for some, shuk'ran!

Merkin

Cavehill Red wrote: »

Sumac is a spice made from ground and dried berries. I brought a load back from Turkey once and went looking for recipes. Goes well sprinkled on roast chicken, especially kebabs with some lemon juice, and is traditionally sprinkled on top of fresh hummous.
I ended up sprinkling it over roast potatoes, throwing a pinch or two into soups and stews, basically using it all over the place.

Thank you so much! The Masterchef crew seem to use it nearly EVERYTHING so I'm curious as to why it's not used so much here! Seems like it's used in a lot of Lebanese cookery from what I gather - sounds sublime on roast chicken or kebabs nyum

Gordon

Afwan! Then, the smell of manaeesh may bring back some memories, here's hoping. Yes, I nearly ended up getting it on Amazon but managed to source another Arabic shop with it, so stored up. Enjoy!

Merkin

Alhamdulillah! Brilliant Gordon, thanks so much for the recommendations!

Cavehill Red

Merkin wrote: »

Thank you so much! The Masterchef crew seem to use it nearly EVERYTHING so I'm curious as to why it's not used so much here! Seems like it's used in a lot of Lebanese cookery from what I gather - sounds sublime on roast chicken or kebabs nyum

Yes, it's very big in Lebanese and Palestinian cooking also. I've used it in making falafel, which worked really well. I started putting it on hummous, as is traditional, but ended up sprinkling it on couscous too. Look for a recipe for Musakan, which is a Palestinian sumac chicken dish. Absolutely amazing.

Merkin

Cavehill Red wrote: »

Yes, it's very big in Lebanese and Palestinian cooking also. I've used it in making falafel, which worked really well. I started putting it on hummous, as is traditional, but ended up sprinkling it on couscous too. Look for a recipe for Musakan, which is a Palestinian sumac chicken dish. Absolutely amazing.

Thanks so much for the tip, just googled musakan and trusty Nigella uses it as a very simple marinade and then wrapped in bread and slathered in yoghurt, sounds like food heaven! Where do you get yours?

Cavehill Red

Like I said, I have a ton of it here I bought in Turkey. But I'd imagine that if you tried the Mauritian supermarket on Moore St or Medina on Parnell St, one of them would have sumac. Probably the Asian markets at Jervis or on Georges St too.

Merkin

Much obliged, cheers!

The Asian market on Drury street definitely has sumac.

VanillaLime

If anyone's in Cork, Mr Bell's in the English Market has sumac!

tfak85

Sometimes Zaatar is labeled as as Lebanese thyme in the Arabic shops.

Sumac makes the salad fatoush - iceberg lettuce, tomato, cucumber, red onion, radish and pita bread, chopped up with a scissors and toasted under the grill/in a dry frying pan, dress in olive oil, salt and pepper, lemon juice if you like and a good sprinkling of sumac. Always a winner.

flikflak

I got Za`atar on the Dublin food co-op this weekend. It was yummy mixed with EVOO on some warm pittas. I always saw it on the shelf and was curious to try some then this thread made my mind up that I was going to try it this weekend!

Merkin

Moonbaby wrote: »

The Asian market on Drury street definitely has sumac.

Thanks so much Moonbaby. Was in there today and loaded up on the stuff. OMG I *love* that shop