Ah, what’s the way to sweeten strip loin marinated in pomegranate molasses and cooked with fresh mint just so? Sabo, the ancient sweetener of the Mediterranean, what the world had before balsamic vinegar and merlot reductions scented with marjoram and ooh la la.
Sweetening, the Palestinian Way
Three cups grape juice + heat + time = heaven. No doubt, this is the reason that those Egyptian grapes, the Traminers, are so beautifully florally scented. Sabo: more complex than honey, with deeps and valleys as individual as wine.
What to do with that sumac lemonade that’s beautifully sour and maybe too sour for some times of the day? Aha! Sabo.
The colour of late summer. Sabo binds with the flavours and they all come out totally new. Dark sabo is best for this.
And turning sabo on its head, what to do with that sumac lemonade, also in the Palestinian way? Aha, Sabo!
Sumac Tea + Heat + (Not a lot of) Time =
The ultimate in a complex, sour, concentrated, rich, rounded fruit flavour. A drop’ll do you. It’s like suddenly finding yourself sitting on Mount Olympus with the gods. The taste won’t leave you for a long, long time.
No wonder the Romans brought sabo home with all sails furling. Cane sugar and lemon juice, we need you no more! And to think, it starts with this…
Enough Sumac for 4 cups of tea or 2 tablespoons of sumac sabo!
In the language, or the spirit, of sabo joy, a new logo…
Categories: Agriculture, cooking, food culture, History, Indigenous Farming, Innovation, Wine