Sumac is used in Turkish cuisine for dressing salads, in the Caucasus - for marinating barbecue. Sumac gives dishes a sour taste and is often used instead of lemon. Sumac is widely used in Central Asian cuisine, practically replacing lemon, in addition, giving dishes a pink (more cherry-red) color.
Sumac is put in fish and poultry dishes, in marinades, salads, kebabs, and legumes. In Turkey and Iran, rice is abundantly sprinkled with ground sumac.
In Lebanon, Syria and Egypt, a very thick decoction of sumach berries is added to meat and vegetable dishes. Yogurt sauce with sumac is served with kebabs. They are used to season salads and delicious desserts.