Sumac-ade
Tart drink made from sumac
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sumac-ade,, also known as bush-lemonade, or Indian lemonade, is a drink normally made with Rhus typhina or Rhus coriaria, chilled water, and frequently added, but not always added, sugar.[1] With the taste normally described as tart, yet sweet, the taste bears a shocking resemblance to pink lemonade.[2]
Process
Rhus fruits are briskly rinsed, as they are removed from their stem. The berries are then dunked into a jar of cold or chilled water. After 5 minutes of vigorous shaking to the jar, the concoction is left alone for around 25 minutes. After that, it is shaken and a potato masher is used on the fruit.
Rhus vernix and Rhus radicans are not used as they are highly toxic due to their urushiol content.[3][4]
History
In the Americas, sumac-ade wasn't created by any modern inventor, but was passed down generations through Native American peoples of the Cahokian tribes of central United States.[5] However, it is now drank by many people in the Northeast United States, and in the Midwestern United States by others, due to widespread trade of the main recipe.
While there was a sumac "drink" commonly made in the Middle East, said "drink" was normally used as a souring agent for jellies and other sweet treats, rather than as its own drink.[6][7]