Iranian Grilled Chicken Thighs with Sumac

Before there was lemon juice, there was sumac: tart, purple-red berries that grow wild all over the hills of the Middle East. Dried and ground, sumac has an alluring fruity-sour taste, more floral and less sharp than lemon, and is used anywhere lemon would provide sparkle: grilled foods, creamy soups and sauces, and salads.

In fact, it’s better than citrus in the marinades that Jews from Turkey, Iran, and the Fertile Crescent favor for fish, chicken, and kebabs because it contains n