Group · Herbs & spices
Sumac
Sumac is not a blend but a spice in its own right: the dried, ground berry of Rhus coriaria, a shrub from around the Mediterranean. Its garnet-red powder has a distinctly sour, lemon-like taste without bitterness. It is the traditional souring agent of Levantine cooking, used long before lemon spread there.
In terms of nutrition facts, the page lists 327 kcal per 100 g, 37.8 g of carbohydrate and 27.7 g of fibre. These values come from the « Spice (average food) » line in Ciqual, as there is no measurement specific to sumac. At the usual amount (a teaspoon, or 2 g), the possible margin of error does not amount to a single kilocalorie that matters.
Macronutrient breakdown
Nutrition table per 100 g
| Calories | 327 kcal |
| Kilojoules | 1370 kJ |
| Protein | 12,6 g |
| Carbohydrate | 37,8 g |
| Fat | 7,9 g |
| Fibre | 27,7 g |
Micronutrients per 100 g
All measured nutrients, ranked by share of the daily reference intake.
- Manganese13,6 mg680 %
- Vitamin K1116 µg155 %
- Iron18 mg129 %
- Copper0,93 mg93 %
- Potassium1430 mg72 %
- Calcium479 mg60 %
- Magnesium186 mg50 %
- Vitamin E4,76 mg40 %
- Vitamin B9dietary folate equivalents26,3 µg
See the other 14 nutrients
- Vitamin B51,65 mg28 %
- Phosphorus190 mg27 %
- Omega-3 ALA0,53 g27 %
- Vitamin B60,31 mg22 %
- Selenium9,18 µg17 %
- Zinc1,63 mg16 %
- Omega-6 LA1,49 g15 %
- Vitamin B10,12 mg11 %
- Vitamin B31,52 mg10 %
- Vitamin B20,09 mg6 %
- Iodine9,12 µg6 %
- Vitamin A46,1 µg6 %
- Vitamin C4,29 mg5 %
- Vitamin D0,09 µg2 %
Anses Ciqual 2025. Source: Anses, 2025, Ciqual food composition table
Tips
It replaces lemon where lemon gets in the way. That is its real use. On grilled meat, lemon juice softens the crust; sumac gives the same sourness in dry form. The same logic applies to hummus, a salad of onions or a hard-boiled egg.
Fattoush, its original recipe. This Lebanese salad of toasted pitta bread, tomatoes, cucumber and herbs does not exist without sumac: it is what ties the dry bread to the vegetables. Allow a teaspoon for four people.
Add it raw, at the end. Unlike cumin or coriander, which benefit from heating, sumac loses its sourness when cooked. Sprinkle it on just before serving.
Look at the colour and the label. Good sumac is dark red and slightly moist to the touch. A dull brown sumac has aged, and a very free-flowing one has often been cut with salt, so check that salt is not in the ingredients list. It is the only useful check when buying.
Where else to find it. It is one of the three components of za’atar, and it goes with anything rich or smoky: lamb, roasted aubergine, crispy chickpeas.
Sources
Average nutritional values per 100 g, provided for guidance only (spices and condiments are eaten in small amounts; values vary by brand and preparation).