Sumac (Rhus coriaria L.)

Ripe fruits of smooth sumac, Rh. glabra

Smoth sumac, Rhus glabra, tree with ripening fruits

Smooth sumac (Rh. glabra) with fruits

Albanian	Cërmendell, Shqeme, Shqemja, Shtjemëz
Arabic	سماق
	سُمَّاق
	Summaaq, Summaq
Azeri	Sumaq
	Сумаг
Basque	Tano, Zumake
Bengali	Kankrasringi
Bulgarian	Сумак
	Sumak
Chinese (Mandarin)	蓝肤木 [lán fū mù], 盐肤木 [yán fū mù]
	Lan fu mu, Yan fu mu (Rhus chinensis)
Croatian	Ruj
Czech	Sumah, Koření sumac, Sumac, Škumpa koželužská
Danish	Sumak
Dutch	Sumak, Zuurkruid
English	Shumac, Sicilian sumac
Esperanto	Sumako
Estonian	Sumahh, Lõhnav sumahh
Farsi	سماق
	Somagh
Finnish	Sumakki
French	Sumac
German	Sumach, Gewürzsumach, Färberbaum, Gerbersumach, Essigbaum
Greek	Ρούδι, Σουμάκι
	Roudi, Soumaki
Hebrew	סומאק
	Sumak, Sumaq
Hindi	Kankrasing
Hungarian	Szömörce, Cserszömörce, Cserző szömörce
Italian	Sommacco
Japanese	スーマック
	Sumakku
Kannada	Karkatakashringi
Lithuanian	Žagrenis
Maltese	Xumakk tal-Konz
Polish	Sumak
Portuguese	Sumagre, Arbore das pelucas
Punjabi	ਅਰਕੋਲ, ਤਿਤਰੀ
	Arkol, Titri
Romanian	Sumac
Russian	Сумах
	Sumakh
Slovak	Sumach, Škumpa koželužská
Slovenian	Octovec
Spanish	Zumaque
Tamil	Karkhadagachingi
Telugu	Karkkararingi
Turkish	Sumak, Somak

Several related plants are more or less common ornamentals both in Europe and in Northern America. It is generally believed that members of genus Rhus are only mildly toxic or even mostly harmless, for example the ornamental tree staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina). Nevertheless, it should be borne in mind that the ornamental varieties are not identical to the variety yielding the spice sumac, and that ingestion of those ornamentals may have adverse effects.

Danger: Poison sumac, Toxicodendron vernix

The closely related New-World genus Toxicodendron contains only plants that (as can be inferred by the genus name “poisonous tree”) are highly toxic. These species have formerly been listed under genus Rhus and are often referred to as “sumac” in common speach: Toxicodendron radicans (Poison Ivy), Toxicodendron diversilobum (Poison Oak), Toxicodendron vernix (Poison Sumac). All those contain urushiols (3-alkyl resorcinol derivatives with long side chains) that are extremely powerful allergenes: If applied to the intact skin they cause painful dermatitis in sensitive people. Sensitivity is acquired on previous contact to the urushiols, without any symptoms. The toxines are effective in sub-μg amounts. Lethal poisonings have been reported, particularly on ingestion or inhalation, which allows the urushiols to attack the mucous membranes of mouth, nose and intestines. Note that the fruits of Toxicodendron species are white to pale ochre, not red.

Allergenes of urushiol type are commonly found in the Anacardiaceae family, e.g., in cashew shell oil or (in traces) unripe mangoes. See also pink pepper.

Ground sumac

Dried fruits of Rh. glabra

Dried fruits, usually sold ground (purple-reddish powder, often mixed with salt).

In Europe, only Rh. coriaria is commercially available. In North America, however, two indigenous species (Rh. glabra and Rh. aromatica) have some small market share; their dried fruits have been used by North American Indians to prepare traditional sour beverages, but are rarely used today. Sumac species from the Old and the New World have very similar flavour.

Close-up to sumac with withered fruits www.apinguela.com

Anacardiaceae (cashew family).

Tart and sour, with slightly astringent overtones.

The astringent-acidic flavour of sumac spice mostly goes back to two different types of constituents: Tannines (gallotannines, together 4%) and organic acids (malic, citric, and tatric acid plus smaller amounts of succinic, maleic, fumaric and ascorbic acid). Furthermore, there are traces of a volatile oil (0.02%) which contains aldehydes (2E-decenal, nonanal, 2E,4E-decadienal) and terpenoids (β-caryophyllene, α-pinene, α-Terpineol, carvacrol and the diterpene hydrocarbon cembrene).

The pericarp owes its dark red colour to anthocyanin pigments, of which chrysanthemin, myrtillin and delphinidin have yet been identified. Lastly, the sumac fruits contain 15% fatty oil.

Rh. punjabensis tree (Central Asia, China)

Sumac tree www.apinguela.com

Several species of the genus Rhus grow around the Mediterranean Sea; of these, only Rh. coriaria yields sumac spice. Rh. coriaria grows wild in Sicily, Western Asia and parts of Arabia and Central Asia.

Sumac is of Semitic origin and appears to derive ultimately from an Aramaic adjective summaq “dark red” (Semitic root SMQ or ŚMQ “to be red”); compare Modern Hebrew sumak [סומאק]. The name was transported to European languages via Arabic summaq [سماق] “sumac”.

The botanic genus name Rhus is a latinization of the plant's Greek name, rhous [ῥοῦς], whose origin is not known to me. The species name coriarius refers to the usage of the plant for tanning (Latin corium “leather”).

The German name Essigbaum “vinegar tree” (mostly used for Rh. typhina, staghorn sumac, an ornamental common in Europe) originally referred to Rh. coriaria and is motivated by the sour taste of the berries. A similar idea stands behind Dutch zuurkruid “sour condiment”.

The Epicentre: Sumac Medical Spice Exhibit: Sumac Le Marché du Levant: Zaatar Gewürzmischung Nature One Health: Smooth Sumach and Sweet Sumach “Wildman” Steve Brill: Poison Ivy