Fattoush

Fattoush is a salad made of cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, radishes, and any other fresh vegetable combination that is available. The main ingredient is torn or chopped up flatbread that has been toasted or fried beforehand.

Fattoush can have a simple flavor due to the ingredients used, but this base flavor is enlivened by the addition of fresh herbs, including sumac, which gives the dish a slightly sour note. Sumac is a lemony red, purple-ish powder used to season meats and vegetables. It grows wild in Palestine and is a key ingredient in the country's famous chicken dish, msakhan. Syrians enjoy using the spice on fattoush and occasionally as a garnish for hummus.