The dried berries of sumac make the pink drink also called Indian lemonade.
This beverage is often called sumac-ade or rhus juice. It is prepared by soaking the tart fruits of certain sumac species in cool water, then straining and sweetening the liquid. The drink’s pink color and lemon-like sourness give it its lemonade comparison.
Species used for this drink include staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina), smooth sumac (Rhus glabra), and fragrant sumac (Rhus aromatica). Their fruits contain malic acid, which produces the sharp, citrus-like flavor. Sumac is also widely used as a reddish-purple spice, especially in Middle Eastern cooking.
A common mix-up is confusing this drink with nimbu paani, the lemon-based South Asian beverage also sometimes called Indian lemonade. The sumac version uses berries rather than lemon juice. Not every sumac is edible: poison sumac is a different, hazardous plant and should not be used.