There was a lot of wild sumac where I grew up (the good kind, genus Rhus, not poison sumac, which is genus Toxicodendron.) The genus for the latter even sounds dangerous, doesn't it? They're not all that closely related, though they are both in the Anacardiaceae family.
It is more commonly found in savory Middle Eastern foods, and is frequently an ingredient in za'atar. The Casbah restaurant in Pittsburgh where we had the sumac muffins was quite interesting, I'd like to eat there again some time.
We planted some sumac in the NE corner of our yard to hide the utility posts, but over the years other plants have pretty much crowded them out. They tend to grow in thickets.
I'm making my first attempt at sumac muffins today, they look similar but the taste is different. Not bad, just different. May need a little more sweetness and more spices. Has anyone baked with za'atar?

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