Unless you cook Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food often, chances are you can turn your cupboards upside down but won't find this unique spice that brings so many recipes to life! Here are some typical sumac spice substitutes. • Lemon zest • Lemon zest mixed with salt • A combination of lemon zest, salt, and black pepper • Tamarind (although tamarind is sour enough, it is not salty and does not have the right texture. • Za'atar is a spice blend made with a combination of herbs and spices, including thyme and ground sumac. Zaatar can work in some instances, when used for a rub or mixed in olive oil to make a marinade, for example. However, it wouldn't work when sumac is a key ingredient in the recipe, for example, Kathryn's blackberry sumac scones. • My Sumac Substitute recipe is a combination of 3 ingredients: lemon zest, sea salt, and citric acid. Citric acid, in my opinion, makes all the difference.