The moment I saw this unique looking plant in a park, I remembered chef Asako showed it to me last summer. Its name escaped me, so I sent this pic to her and received an immediate response. "It is called Sumac," she said. "You can use it as a spice or make lemonade like drink with it."
I did a further research and learned that this is a kind of Sumac called Rhus typhina or Staghorn Sumac that originates in the eastern part of the US. It’s a different than those that are common in Middle East, but you can still use it in the same way. Asako who is now running the Sustainable Collective said she planted a tree of this Sumac at Tuk Muk Farm and expect to harvest some next year.
Something new to look forward to next fall.
ある公園でこの植物を見た時、シェフの麻子さんが昨年見せてくれたことを思い出しました。でも名前が思い出せない…。そこで麻子さんに写真を送ると、「それは Sumac ですね」とすぐに答えが返ってきました。さすが。
中東で一般的なスマックの種類とは少し違いますが、同じように使うことができるそう。昨年 The Sustainable Collective を立ち上げた麻子さんは、来年に向けてウディンビルの農場 Tuk Muk Farm にこのスマックの木を植えたそう。
来年の秋の楽しみが増えました！
And of course, Amazon sells it. if you don't mind it's not local (it doesn't seem to list where it was produced).