In the limestone hills of Gaziantep in southeastern Turkey, sumac is a drought-tolerant plant that grows wildly near pistachio fields. Since there is no formal cultivation, the late-summer harvest is done by villagers, and at times, a single batch of our sumac is produced by over 100 people. The key is knowing which raw materials to accept—we seek out sumac with a sunny tang that turns into a pucker. Rather than sun-drying, the bright red berry is chopped and packed in salt to cure, preserving the fresh-picked floral aroma of the fruit.