sumac-msg - 2/18/09 Period uses of sumac. NOTE: See also the files: herbs-msg, herb-uses-msg, spices-msg, seeds-msg, merch-spices-msg, lavender-msg, mandrake-art, rue-msg, herb-mixes-msg. ************************************************************************ NOTICE - This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday. This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter. The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make no claims as to the accuracy of the information given by the individual authors. Please respect the time and efforts of those who have written these messages. The copyright status of these messages is unclear at this time. If information is published from these messages, please give credit to the originator(s). Thank you, Mark S. Harris AKA: THLord Stefan li Rous Stefan at florilegium.org ************************************************************************ Date: Thu, 23 Dec 1999 12:15:22 -0600 From: "Decker, Terry D." Subject: RE: SC - Sumac > Is this sumac ya'll are talking about the same sumac many people are > allergic to, or is it something else? > > Chante Sumac is a generic name for various plants in the family Anacardiaceae. Most sumacs are genus Rhus. Poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac may be considered genus Rhus, but are often placed in genus Toxicodendron, due their containing urushiol. The most common of these plants is T. radicans (poison ivy). Poison sumac is usually used to denote T. vernix. Other members of the family are used for tea, wine and medicine, i.e., Rhus typhira (staghorn sumac). Bear Date: Thu, 23 Dec 1999 17:24:21 -0500 From: Marilyn Traber Subject: Re: SC - Sumac Sumac is sour without a citrus or vinegar taste, think EDT mixed with a very subtle almost musky/flower hint. Margali Date: Fri, 24 Dec 1999 01:18:32 -0600 From: "RANDALL DIAMOND" Subject: SC - RE: SC- Sumac (Long) Time for another at length plant pontification by Akim (who, like sumac, also causes some people rashes). Derivation of the family name is Rhus (Greek) mentioned by Dioscordies to grow in stony mountain places, as far as Spain but also in the Apennies and Pontus ranges in Italy. It was called Sumacho in Italian. The Arabians called it Sumach. Spanish was Sumagre; Dutch Smack or Sumach and English also Sumach, Coriars Sumach and Leather Sumach. It is mentioned in Apicius under "Rhus", a shrub called SUMACH, seed of which is used instead of salt. All sumachs (sumacs) are members of the Anacardiaceae family, all of which have some common links which are related poisons. However, toxicity varies from very high to very low, the lowest, in which common sumac falls, is an irritant only to hyper-sensitive individuals. Included in this family are cashews, mangoes and pistachios which, in their marketed state are heavenly, but in their raw state can cause severe allergic reactions. You see, the toxin relationship varies with the treatment of the food item. In the genus Rhus, the specific plants which are very toxic are Rhus radicans (poison ivy), Rhus toxicodendron (poison oak) and Rhus vernix (poison sumac). The most virulent is poison sumac; any contact with any part of the plant can cause severe dermatitis. The degree of reaction to any of these toxins varies with the exposure and the individual's sensitivity. Many persons claim they are not allergic to these plants. Not true. These toxins are a cumlative poison; eventually a threshhold is reached and a severe dermatitis will result. "Decker, Terry D. (Bear) writes: >Poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac may be >considered genus Rhus, but are often placed in genus >Toxicodendron, due their containing urushiol. The most >common of these plants is T. radicans (poison ivy). Poison >sumac is usually used to denote T. vernix. Of late, botonists have been reshuffling plant names to confuse laymen and assure their jobs are secure as ultimate authorities. (Just joking Bear!) So the poisonous species may be listed under different Latin names when you search for information on them in newer publications. Two principal European species are mentioned in Gerard. Wilde or Myrtle Sumach (Rhus myrtifolia) is native to the mediterranean region and is sparse fruiting. This is likely the Middle Eastern sumak as it was listed as growing in Syria by Archigenes in Galen (the 8th book). The seed is a small, hard red berry. Rhus myrtifolia was mainly used a kind of mouth freshening chewing gum produced by brusing the trunk of the tree. It was commonly used (and still is) around the mediterannean. It was atributed that the gum also stopped toothaches. Rhus coriaria or Coriar Sumach is very much similar to the main 3 American species in appearance and it also has the very large clusters of bright red, acidic berries in the middle of summer as the American natives. The old Latin for this plant is Rhus culinaria or Meat Sumach. Principal culinary use of the berries or seeds was in making sharp flavoured sauces for meats according to Gerard. It was also applied to meats as a powdered spice or Latin Rhus obsoniorum or Sauce Sumach. There were also (ineffectual) medical uses for the leaves of both plants as well as a black hair dye made from a decoction of the leaves. There are no poisonous species of Rhus native to Europe, Africa or asia minor. These peoples have been spared the horrible itch of the 3 poisonous North American species. The Asian representative of the genus is Rhus verniciflua, Chinese rhus, which is used to make furniture lacquers and shares a high toxicity with poison ivy, oak and sumac. It has no culinary uses that I know of. From: "David Dendy" (Francesco) writes: >Puck asked about sumac: >Is there someplace I can get this on the web? Are >there acceptable substitutes? What does Sumac do for >this dish? Francesco answers: >We sell sumac from our web-site (see URL below). It is a >souring agent, just as lemon juice, for example, is (although >the flavour is very different). The following is from the URL listing in the spice catalog: 0480 SUMAC BERRIES "The tart red powder of these berries is an essential 'souring agent' in Middle Eastern cookery, used in place of vinegar or lemon. Also makes a refreshing summer drink. (N.B. - this is not the same as the North American wild sumac, some varieties of which are poisonous.)" As to the use if the ground seeds of the myrtle sumac with other herbs in the Middle East (sumak), the arabic peoples were historically the middlemen in the oriental spice trade to period Europe. Many fruits and vegetables also reached Europe through the arabic region (bananas, limes, oranges, lemons, etc.). The spread of the sumac as a spice in the Middle Eastern cultures probably was because they are accustomed to sun drying so many plants and using them in their cuisine uniquely (rather like their use of powered dried limes for example). Europeans also were much taken with the spectacular red fruits and fall foliage of the American (nonpoisonous) sumacs and planted them in gardens extensively. These species are pretty much natualized in the wild there now. . From my experience in using wild staghorn sumach (the most common species in my area), the taste and properties, "a tart red powder" seems identical to that of the arabic cuisine. Here in the South, we have always used the red berries to make a pink lemonade substitute, particularly in rural areas. It is an important and preservable source of vitamin C. A shared characteristic of Rhus species is the production of clusters of berry-like fruit, of which all species (even the poisonous) are very important food for wildlife, particularly birds, which do not seem affected by the toxins. It is extremely easy to safely gather sumac berries for use. All of the poisonous varieties have white berries. All of the safe sumacs have very red or orange-red berries. Simple, huh? When ripe, these berries are covered with acidic red hairs, rather velvet-like in appearance. Collect the entire cluster before the rains wash most of this red covering away. Rub gently to bruise the berries surface, but do not strip them from the cluster. Soak for 10-15 minutes in COLD water. Remove the clusters and filter the pink water through cheesecloth or a coffe filter. Sugar to taste. Chill and serve like lemonade. Here are the American species that can be used for lemonade or dried as a spice like the Arabic version: Staghorn Sumach (Rhus typhina) up to 30' in height, grows from Minn. s Ontario, e Quebec, Nova Scotia, south to ne Iowa, Ill,, cen. Tenn, n Ga, to Md.. Fruits in June to September. This is the species most common in Europe today. Flameleaf Sumac (Rhus copallina), aka Winged or Dwarf Sumac 4'-10' in height. Found in upland fields and openings from e Kans., cen Wisc., s. Mich., se NY, s Maine, and south to e TX and FL. Fruits in August to October. Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra) grows 10-20 feet in height. Found in e Plains states to s Canada, all of the midwest \ states, n e to same area as R copallina and south to appalachian range to central Miss, Ala. and Ga, w SC and NC. Fruits June to October. Fragrant Sumac (Rhus aromatica) mounding 6'-12' high. Found in TX and central Plains and SE plateau regions of Ala, Tenn, Ga,, Ky into s Ohio. , also cent. SC, NC, Va, WV,i nto s Penn., e into w and e NY.. Berries are dark wine red and globular. Fruits July -September. Leaves resemble poison ivy but berries are unmistakable. Desert Sumac (Rhus microphylla), aka Littleleaf Sumac, 4'-8' in height grows in the Southwest US to n Mexico. The fruit is orange red. Lemonade Berry (Rhus integrifolia) , 3'-9' evergreen with thick, leathery leaves, often used as a hedge. Range is coastal southern California. Sugarbush (Rhus ovata) 8'-15' Santa Barbara County to n Baja. Typical to chapparral environment. Orange berries, grey green leaves folded into "taco shell". Threeleaf Sumac (Rhus trilobata) aka Lemita, aka Squawbush, aka Skunkbush (highly exaggerated) to 8' high. Range is from Missouri and TX to CA and WA. Orange-red fruit in July to September. There are other less common Rhus species but are very limited in range. Of all of these, the only new world species known in 17th century gardens were the three eastern US varieties. I have no source or record of Native Americans utilizing these species nor do I have any data that indicates the colonists initially using the berries to make a beverage. They probably recognized the American native sumacs and used them to flavour sauces and meats however. Sources: Gerard, John, The Herbal or General History of Plants, 1633 edition, reprinted unabridged by Dover, 1975. Third Book, chapter 111, pp 1474-1475. Hightshoe, Gary L., Native Trees, Shrubs and Vines for Urban and Rural America, Van Nostrand Reinhold, NY 1988. pp 318- 323 & p. 662. Ottesen, Carole, The Native Plant Primer, Harmony Books, NY 1995. pp. 289-291. Peterson, Lee Allen, Edible Wild Plants, a Peterson Field Guide, Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, 1977. pp. 182, 186-87. Akim Yaroslavich Date: Fri, 24 Dec 1999 23:41:45 EST From: LrdRas at aol.com Subject: Re: SC - RE: SC- Sumac (Long) ringofkings at mindspring.com writes: << Time for another at length plant pontification by Akim (who, like sumac, also causes some people rashes). >> I would like to add that the modern word 'sumac (var. sumach)' is derived from the Middle English 'sumac' which in turn is derived from a Middle French word which is ultimately derived from the Arabic summaq. The word in it's current form was first used in English print in the 14th century CE. You might want to add to your exhaustive list of 'Rhus' information the fact that the word 'sumac' is also used when describing certain 'material used in tanning or dyeing that consists of dried powdered leaves and flowers of various sumacs'. Members of the Rhus genus not only include trees and shrubs but also woody vines of the cashew family whose leaves are pinnately compound and turn to brilliant colors in the autumn. The flowers are dioecious and are followed by spikes or loose clusters of red or whitish berries. According the agricultural extension agent, any sensitivity that a person appears to have toward staghorn sumac is most likely attributable to other members of the Rhus genus such as poison ivy and poison oak which not only grow in similar habitats but are also frequently found growing among staghorn stands. Conversely poison sumac is seldom found among staghorn stands and even if it were growing there the 2 species are obviously dissimilar when viewed side by side. Poison sumac (Rhus vernix), also called poison dogwood, is a shrub that is usually located in swamps or other wet places. It has 'pinnate leaves, greenish flowers, and greenish white berries and produces an irritating oil.' Staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina) is a native of eastern North America which is found growing most often in abandoned fields or open landscape. It is a 'shrub or small tree with velvety-pubescent branches and flower stalks, leaves turning brilliant red in fall, and dense panicles of greenish yellow flowers followed by hairy crimson fruits.' This species, while not identical to that which is found in Europe and the Middle East, is so similar to it that those differences would appear to be unimportant to the lay person. It can be substituted for the European/Middle Eastern variety in cookery. Any flavor differences are so subtle as to indistinguishable except to the most sensitive palates. Ras Date: Fri, 7 Oct 2005 14:29:15 +0200 From: Volker Bach Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Sumac recipes request To: Cooks within the SCA Am Freitag, 7. Oktober 2005 13:37 schrieb Christina Nevin: > Does anyone know of any period recipes containing sumac other than > 'Maqluba' (meat and walnut patties) from al-Baghdadi and > 'Adas' (lentils and taro) from Ibn al-Mabrad? Sumaqiyya, IIRC from the 'Description of Familiar Foods' contains sumac, and Milh Mutayyab from both that source and al-Baghdadi can. I also think there is something the the Ni'Namatma (sp?) - that Malwan cookbook. Haven't been able to read it through yet. Giano Date: Wed, 23 Aug 2006 18:12:37 -0500 From: Anne-Marie Rousseau Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] recipes using sumac berries? To: Cooks within the SCA I will often sprinkle a bit of sumac on the top of my hummous for presentation. Its a beautiful color and adds an intersting sweet smokey taste that's different than paprika --AM Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2006 04:35:54 +0200 From: Volker Bach Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] recipes using sumac berries? To: Cooks within the SCA Am Donnerstag, 24. August 2006 01:09 schrieb Stefan li Rous: > Urtatim replied to someone: > <<< They are there for flavor and color. If you can't find pomegranates > (yeah, it's a little ahead of the season), i'd skip them. > > If you like, you could sprinkle some > (1.) sumac > OR > > > Sumac is used in 'Abbasid recipes. I have not seen barberries used in > them, however. I have found barberries in at least one late 15th c. > Ottoman recipe, and they are used in modern Persian recipes. >>> > > I'm not quite sure which recipes these "'Abbasid recipes" are, but > can anyone point me to some other period recipes, preferably European > ones, which use sumac berries? For a given value of 'European': Liber de Coquina II (7) 10: sumacia - pan-fried chicken in sumac almond broth IV (9) 4: summachia: grilled fish in almond-sumach broth or sauce V (10) 11: Lombard compost - root vegetables and fruit cooked and pickled in a honey-mustard sauce that involves cinnamon, saffron, mulberries and sumac berries. Giano Date: Wed, 23 Aug 2006 23:25:21 -0700 From: lilinah at earthlink.net Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] recipes using sumac berries? To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org Stefan li Rous > but can anyone point me to some other period recipes, preferably European > ones, which use sumac berries? Mmm... the only European recipes i know of using sumac are adaptations of Arabic recipes. There's an Italian recipe for sommachia (the Arabic original is summaqiyya) Sommachia - Chicken with Spicy Sumac Sauce Zambrini, Libro della cucina from Perry, Medieval Arabic Cookery< Take some jointed chickens and fry them in bacon fat. Take some almonds, some sumac and water and cook with the chicken. The dish should be quite thick. Serve. The same recipe can be applied to fish, partridge, capons, etc. Polastri a Sumacho boni e perfecti Frati, Libro di cucina as reproduced by Perry in "Medieval Arabic Cookery" If you wish to make chicken with sumac for twelve people, take twelve chickens and two pounds of almonds, also about an ounce each of cinnamon, ginger, and [?- pepper] , two ounces of cloves, half a pound of plums and one pound of sumac. Take the chickens and brown them whole in melted bacon fat. When they are well browned, add some sweet spices, root ginger, cinnamon sticks, and whole cloves and brown well (again). Add a little water, then take some very clean sumac and put it to soak in some plain vinegar. Take the unpeeled, washed almonds, pound them thoroughly and diffuse the resulting powder in water. Take the sumac and mix it well with the vinegar in which it has soaked. When the chickens with the other ingredients are cooked, add some prunes which have been washed thoroughly, then take the sumac and strain it; repeat with the almond milk and throw away the solid residue. Add the remaining liquid to the chickens and boil with the spices to taste and plenty of water and salt. This dish should be made with sumac, spices, saffron, vinegar and sumac juice. When the entire mixture had been boiled well, remove from the fire in order to serve it. Place the chickens on the plates (or, rather, trenchers) and serve with no further garnish. If you wish to serve the chickens in pieces prepare these in the same way. ----- I note that 2 oz. of cloves may be too much... ----- Here is the original Arabic recipe from Charles Perry's wonderful new translation of al-Baghdadi's Kitab al-Tabikh. And i must add that anyone interested in this cuisine MUST get Perry's new translation. It isn't just that Arberry got some things wrong, but that the transcription by Daoud Chelebi had some problems - apparently he skipped some significant marginal notes and included some less important notes... (Notes in parentheses from Charles Perry) [Notes in square brackets from me] Summaqiyya The way to make it is to cut up fat meat medium, then leave it in the pot. (Sc. add water) Then throw a little good salt on it. Then let it come to a boil until it is nearly done. Thoroughly take its scum away. Then throw on it boiled chard, cut in pieces a finger width long [note that the Arabs liked to use the white stem and cut the green leafy parts away], and carrots. Then take onions and Nabatean leeks [not sure how these differ from other leeks], peel them, wash them in water and salt and put them on. If it is the season of eggplant, put it in with its black peel removed; boil it in a separate pot (i.e., before putting them with the meat). Then take sumac and put it in a separate pot, put a little salt and bread crumbs on it, boil it well and strain it [i suspect the bread crumbs are forced through the sieve]. If you want, take a scalded, jointed hen and throw it in the pot. Pound lean meat fine and (sprinkle) spices on it. Make it into medium sized meatballs and throw them in the pot also. Put spices on it, namely coriander seed, cumin, pepper, ginger, cinnamon, fine mastic and bunches of fresh mint. Then take the mentioned sumac water and put it in the pot. Pound walnuts, beat them to a liquid consistency with water and throw them in the pot. Then crumble dry mint onto its surface, and throw in whole pieces of walnuts without pounding. Pound a little garlic, mix it with a little of the broth and throw it in the pot. Some people put whole raw eggs (Sc. in the pot). Leave it on a quiet fire to grow quiet, then take it up. ----- Below is a recipe contained in a marginal note. It was copied into the margin by a much later scribe from an 11th century medical encyclopedia, Minhaj al-Bayan. I include this note because it mentions barberries (!!). And it supports my idea that while sumac and barberries don't taste the same, they can be used similarly. 'Amirbarisiyya, which is zirishkiyya. It is made like sumaquyya, except that it is made with almonds. The best of it is made with fresh barberries ('amirbaris and zirishk are Persian names for barberries) ----- Finally, there are several other Arabic dishes in 14th-15th c. Italian cookbooks, besides Summaqiyya/Sommachia. They include Rummaniyya/Romania (a meat dish with pomegranates) and Limuniyya/Limonia (a meat dish with lemons). There are others that were taken from Arabic recipes or somewhat adopted. For example, there are a number of Italian escabeches from this period, the technique adopted from the popular Arabic dish of Persian origin called Sikbaj, which had a lot of vinegar, and often chopped onions. -- Urtatim (that's err-tah-TEEM) the persona formerly known as Anahita Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2006 23:46:53 -0700 From: lilinah at earthlink.net Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] recipes using sumac berries? To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org I wrote: > Well, there's > 1.) al-Warraq's 10th century Kitab al-Tabikh, a compendium of 9th > and 10th century recipes > 2.) al-Baghdadi's 13th century Kitab al-Tabikh (means "Book of > Dishes", i.e., "cookbook") > 3.) the as-yet not fully translated book that has a long complex > title that is sometimes translated to include "The Link of the Beloved" > and > 4.) the 14th century Book of the Description of Familiar Foods which > was compiled in Mamluk Egypt, but the recipes are about 1/3 > al-Baghdadi and many, if not most, of the rest are in a similar > vein, so clearly 'Abbasid. OOPS! 1.) Should be *ibn Sayyar's* 10th century Kitab al-Tabikh, a compendium of 9th and 10th century recipes Sorry for any confusion. Additionally 3.) appears to date from the 12th C. and has the full title of Kitab Al-Wusla ilal-Habib fi Wasfi Al-Tayibati wal-Tib (The Book of the Bond with the Friend, or the Description of Good Dishes and Perfumes) of which about 10 copies survive. -- Urtatim (that's err-tah-TEEM) the persona formerly known as Anahita Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2008 09:17:33 -0500 From: Johnna Holloway Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] The use of sumac in medieval Arabic cooking To: Christiane , Cooks within the SCA You can search it through medievalcookery.com and find that it's mentioned oddly enough by Charles Perry. This is an excerpt from *An Anonymous Andalusian Cookbook* (Andalusia, 13th c. - Charles Perry, trans.) The original source can be found at David Friedman's website The Customs that Many People Follow in Their Countries. Many are fond and inclined toward foods that others detest, and this is why the people of Yemen cook with dates ...[one word missing]... and like nothing better; the Persians cook rice with sumac ... Johnnae Christiane wrote: > I guess the question is, was it ever used in the medieval period? > > I do not specifically see it mentioned in Perry, so I am just > wondering if there is a term I am missing, or whether it was Turk- > specific and they brought it with them into the lands they had > conquered. > > Gianotta Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2008 09:23:13 -0500 From: Johnna Holloway Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] The use of sumac in medieval Arabic cooking To: Cooks within the SCA Also check out this http://thorngrove.typepad.com/table/2005/10/ebbp2_report_ma.html Johnnae Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2008 09:51:20 -0800 From: Dragon Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Sca-cooks Digest, Vol 21, Issue 79 To: Cooks within the SCA Bhadra wrote: > Where would I get some so the sumac in question? > > Sabina (new to the list and totally ignorant) ---------------- End original message. --------------------- A Middle Eastern market would be your best source, especially one focusing on Lebanese or Persian (Iranian) cuisines. If you don't have one nearby, mail order is your next best option. I like a dealer called Adriana's Caravan for a number of unusual spices. http://www.adrianascaravan.com/ There are other sources you can order from too. Dragon Date: Sun, 3 Feb 2008 11:22:41 -0800 From: Lilinah Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] The use of sumac in medieval Arabic cooking To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org > I guess the question is, was it ever used in the medieval period? > > I do not specifically see it mentioned in Perry, so I am just > wondering if there is a term I am missing, or whether it was > Turk-specific and they brought it with them into the lands they had > conquered. > > Gianotta Sumac is used in eleven recipes in al-Baghdadi's cookbook. It does not appear in any of the recipes in the Anon. Andalusian cookbook, however. ...see my comparison of the spiceboxes of al-Baghdadi and the Anon. Andlausian http://home.earthlink.net/~lilinah/Food/Misc_Hist_Food/ SpiceboxBaghdadi.html http://home.earthlink.net/~lilinah/Food/Misc_Hist_Food/ SpiceboxAndalusi.html http://home.earthlink.net/~lilinah/Food/Misc_Hist_Food/ SpiceboxesCompared.html And it is used in a number of other surviving Near and Middle Eastern cookbooks. I'll look over the frustrating "Medieval Cuisine of the Islamic World" and pull out a few. -- Urtatim (that's err-tah-TEEM) the persona formerly known as Anahita Edited by Mark S. Harris sumac-msg Page 12 of 12