Rhus coriaria

Gerber sumac ( Rhus coriaria )

The Gerber - sumac ( Rhus coriaria ), also Gewürzsumach, Sicilian sumac or dyer tree called, is a species of the genus sumac ( Rhus ) within the family of Sumac ( Anacardiaceae ). She comes before wild in Sicily, Iran, Turkey, parts of Arabia and Central Asia.

Description

The Gerber sumac grows as a shrub or small tree. The leaves are pinnate.

The Gerber sumac is dioecious getrenntgeschlechtig ( dioecious ). The racemose inflorescences contain many flowers. The small stone fruits change color violet- deep at maturity.

Use

Gerbersumach Rous had BC found at the latest in the 3rd century in the entire Greek cuisine of the Aegean region its place as a popular spice and had to be imported from Syria, although the trees grew throughout the Mediterranean world. Solon wrote a poem in jambaischen about his culinary friends sumac and Silphion ( obtained from which only disjointed fragments ) over the life of luxury. No later than the 4th century BC sumac was in Athens in kitchen use. The leaves were used for tanning leather and as a hair dye, with the bark wool was dyed.

To date, the dried, ground stone fruits, called sumac are ( probably from Aramaic Summaq for dark red) popular than sour spice, especially in the Turkish, Arabic, Kurdish and Persian cuisine.

For high-quality " sumac " no salt is added, especially the stone fruits are not crushed, bitter substances would otherwise be released. It is only scraped the thin layer pulp and then dried under high heat, best under strong sunlight. Of course this is much more expensive and rarely available because of this trade. Usually you only get the ( through the cores ) dark sumac, while the actual pure form has a bright red color. Salt is added primarily by traders for faster drying (removal of water) and increase the weight. In the pure form, the spice is quite productive.

He is usually generous over salads, meat dishes ( for example lahmacun ) scattered and rice dishes or cooked like in ancient Rome to an intensely red Sud, which is comparable dishes added with tamarind. A closely related species was used by the Indians of North America as the basis for an acidic drink.

The sour - astringent flavor of the fruit is based on different fruit acids such as malic, citric, succinic, maleic, fumaric and ascorbic acid, tannins and essential oils. The color is due to anthocyanin pigments.

Swell

• Rhus coriaria to Gernot Katzer's Spice Pages ( use section)