Sumac is the best seasoning

[wvbearhunter]

Rams horn sumac is the absolute best food seasoning. It works with anything...eggs, fish, venison, potatoes....it just works! If you have never tried it you are missing out.

 

[BAKPAKR]

I had to search "sumac as spice" since "poison sumac" is something I have heard thrown around a lot. Different thing. Do you gather/grind your own or just buy it? I might have to look for some in the wild.

 

[P7M13]

@wvbearhunter, what does it do for flavor?
I've seen it listed as a spice in dishes, but don't know its taste.
Also don't know about the brand mentioned, but you can find sumac at Hindi spice stores or Chinese markets if there's one in your area.
As a kid in Michigan, we called it "poison sumac", the kind with the crimson red flower head, because it supposedly made you itch. As I understand, it's the same one.
It grows in groves, expanding invasively by root runners. I had to remove a 1/4 acre of it when I was in 8th grade, and a Pulaski was indispensible. It didn't make me itch.

 

[BAKPAKR]

@wvbearhunter, what does it do for flavor?
I've seen it listed as a spice in dishes, but don't know its taste.
Also don't know about the brand mentioned, but you can find sumac at Hindi spice stores or Chinese markets if there's one in your area.
As a kid in Michigan, we called it "poison sumac", the kind with the crimson red flower head, because it supposedly made you itch. As I understand, it's the same one.
It grows in groves, expanding invasively by root runners. I had to remove a 1/4 acre of it when I was in 8th grade, and a Pulaski was indispensible. It didn't make me itch.

What I read, after seeing @wvbearhunter's post, was that poison sumac has a white flower/seed head. The red variety, which I recall seeing, is the kind used for spice.

 

[wvbearhunter]

Rams Horn creates a conical shaped red "flower". You pull, dry it and powder it....or just buy it ready to go. The flavor is hard to describe. It tends to enhance all the other flavors (like salt) but without the salt

 

[billcaldwell]

Thanks for posting! I've often heard about people using it. I love to cook, so I just ordered some.