Sour and tart
Tamarind, amchur, sumac and dried lime: acid from the spice rack.
Sour spices give acidity without liquid. Sumac, tamarind, amchur, anardana, kokum and dried limes are used where a cook wants tang.
What makes them sour
Their fruits contain organic acids, such as tartaric acid in tamarind and malic acid in sumac. Amchur is dried raw mango powder, anardana is dried pomegranate seed, and kokum is the dried rind of a fruit from western India.
How cooks use them
They sour curries, chutneys, soups and kebabs. Tamarind is used in South Indian rasam and Thai pad thai sauce, sumac in Middle Eastern salads and meat, and dried limes in Persian and Gulf stews.
Tips
Sour spices store well and are handy where fresh citrus is scarce. Add them gradually and taste, as sourness builds.
Sour and tart on EveryMasala
The spices written up so far, best known first.
🇮🇹 Italy and 5 moreMustard
A pungent paste made from ground mustard seeds mixed with liquid and spices.Paste · Sharp and pungent · Hot and fiery
🇮🇳 IndiaAmchoorआमचूर
A sour powder made from dried unripe green mangoes, used to add tang to Indian dishes.Seed · Sour and tart · Citrus and bright
🇸🇾 Syria and 5 moreSumac
A tart, crimson spice made from ground berries of the Rhus coriaria shrub.Seed · Sour and tart · Citrus and bright
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreGarden cress
A fast-growing edible herb with peppery leaves and seeds used in salads and traditional medicine.Leaf · Sharp and pungent · Sour and tart
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Sicilian sumac: Dedda71, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Mustard: Rainer Zenz, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Amchoor: Miansari66, Public domain, source
- Garden cress: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source