Sumac Crushed is obtained from the dried berries from a bush that grows in the Middle East and southern Italy, and it is essential for Middle-Eastern cuisine especially Persian, Lebanese, and Turkish. In Middle Eastern cooking, sumac is used as a souring agent instead of lemon or vinegar. Sumac is delicious on roast meat & in particular lamb when mixed with paprika, pepper & oregano. It has a tangy, lemony, and fruity sour flavour and a fruity aroma that was once used as the tart, acid element by Romans. It can be used as a substitute of lemon in any dish on which you might squeeze fresh lemon juice. Also, its deep red-purple colour makes it a very attractive garnish.