Product Code Database
The pomegranate ( Punica granatum) is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub in the family Lythraceae, subfamily Punica, that grows between tall. Rich in symbolic and mythological associations in many cultures, it is thought to have originated from Afghanistan and Iran before being introduced and exported to other parts of Asia, Africa, and Europe.
It was introduced into Spanish America in the late 16th century and into California by New Spain in 1769. It is widely cultivated throughout West Asia and the Caucasus region, South Asia, Central Asia, North Africa and tropical Africa, the drier parts of Southeast Asia, and the Mediterranean Basin. The fruit is typically in season in the Northern Hemisphere from September to February, and in the Southern Hemisphere from March to May.
The pomegranate and its juice are variously used in baking, cooking, juice blends, garnishes, non-alcoholic drinks, and .
Garnet derives from Old French grenat by metathesis, from Medieval Latin granatum as used in a different meaning 'of a dark red color'. This derivation may have originated from pomum granatum, describing the color of pomegranate pulp, or from granum, referring to 'red dye, cochineal'.
The modern French term for pomegranate, grenade, has given its name to the military grenade.
Pomegranates were colloquially called wineapples or wine-apples in Ireland, although this term has fallen out of use. It still persists at the Moore Street open-air market, in central Dublin.
Botanically, the fruit is a berry with edible seeds and pulp produced from the ovary of a single flower. (2025). 9780470593776 ISBN 9780470593776 The fruit is intermediate in size between a lemon and a grapefruit, in diameter with a rounded shape and thick, reddish husk.
In mature fruits, the juice obtained by compressing the seeds yields a tart flavor due to low pH (4.4) and high contents of , which may cause a red indelible stain on fabrics. The of pomegranate juice primarily results from the presence of and ellagitannins.
Insect pests of the pomegranate can include the butterflies Virachola isocrates, Iraota timoleon, Deudorix epijarbas, and the leaf-footed bug Leptoglossus zonatus, and fruit flies and ants are attracted to unharvested ripe fruit.
The only other species in the genus Punica is the Socotran pomegranate ( P. protopunica), which is endemic to the archipelago of four islands located in the Arabian Sea, the largest island of which is also known as Socotra. The territory is part of Yemen. It differs in having pink (not red) flowers and smaller, less sweet fruit.
Several characteristics between pomegranate genotypes vary for identification, consumer preference, preferred use, and marketing, the most important of which are fruit size, exocarp color (ranging from yellow to purple, with pink and red most common), seed-coat color (ranging from white to red), the hardness of seed, maturity, juice content and its acidity, sweetness, and astringency.
Carbonized exocarp of the fruit has been identified in early Bronze Age levels of Tell es-Sultan in the West Bank, as well as late Bronze Age levels of Hala Sultan Tekke on Cyprus and Tiryns. A large, dry pomegranate was found in the tomb of Djehuty, the butler of Queen Hatshepsut in Egypt; Mesopotamian records written in cuneiform mention pomegranates from the mid-third millennium BC onwards.
Waterlogged pomegranate remains have been identified at the circa 14th century BC Uluburun shipwreck off the coast of Turkey. Other goods on the ship include perfume, ivory and gold jewelry, suggesting that pomegranates at this time may have been considered a luxury good. Other archaeological finds of pomegranate remains from the Late Bronze Age have been found primarily in elite residences, supporting this inference.
It is also extensively grown in southern China and Southeast Asia, whether originally spread along the Silk Road route or brought by sea traders. Kandahar is famous in Afghanistan for its high-quality pomegranates.
Although not native to Korea or Japan, the pomegranate is widely grown there and many cultivars have been developed. It is widely used for bonsai because of its flowers and for the unusual twisted bark the older specimens can attain. The term "balaustine" () is also used for a pomegranate-red color.
Spanish colonists later introduced the fruit to the Caribbean and America (Spanish America). However, in the British America, it was less at home: "Don't use the pomegranate inhospitably, a stranger that has come so far to pay his respects to thee," the English Quaker Peter Collinson wrote to the botanizing John Bartram in Philadelphia, 1762. "Plant it against the side of thy house, nail it close to the wall. In this manner it thrives wonderfully with us, and flowers beautifully, and bears fruit this hot year. I have twenty-four on one tree... Doctor Fothergill says, of all trees this is most salutiferous to mankind."
The pomegranate had been introduced as an exotic to England the previous century, by John Tradescant the Elder, but the disappointment that it did not set fruit there led to its repeated introduction to the American colonies, even New England. It succeeded in the South: Bartram received a barrel of pomegranates and oranges from a correspondent in Charleston, South Carolina, 1764. John Bartram partook of "delitious" pomegranates with Noble Jones at Wormsloe Plantation, near Savannah, Georgia, in September 1765. Thomas Jefferson planted pomegranates at Monticello in 1771; he had them from George Wythe of Williamsburg.
Grenadine syrup, commonly used in cocktail, originally consisted of thickened and sweetened pomegranate juice, but today is typically a syrup made just of sugar and commercially produced natural and artificial flavors, preservatives, and food coloring, or using substitute fruits (such as berries).
Before tomatoes (a New World fruit) arrived in the Middle East, pomegranate juice, pomegranate molasses, and vinegar were widely used in many Iranian foods; this mixture still found in traditional recipes such as fesenjān, a thick sauce made from pomegranate juice and ground , usually spooned over duck or other poultry and rice, and in ash-e anar (pomegranate soup).
Pomegranate seeds are used as a spice known as anar dana (from , pomegranate + seed), most notably in Indian and Pakistani cuisine. Dried whole seeds can often be obtained in ethnic Indian markets. These seeds are separated from the flesh, dried for 10–15 days, and used as an acidic agent for chutney and curry preparation. Ground anardana is also used, which results in deeper flavoring in dishes and prevents the seeds from getting stuck in teeth. Seeds of the wild pomegranate variety known as daru from the Himalayas are considered high-quality sources for this spice.
Dried pomegranate seeds, found in some natural specialty food markets, still contain some residual water, maintaining a natural sweet and tart flavor. Dried seeds can be used in several culinary applications, such as trail mix, granola bars, or as a topping for salad, yogurt, or ice cream.
In Turkey, pomegranate sauce () is used as a salad dressing, to marinate meat, or simply to drink straight. Pomegranate seeds are also used in salads and sometimes as garnish for desserts such as güllaç. Pomegranate syrup, also called pomegranate molasses, is used in muhammara, a roasted Capsicum, walnut, and garlic spread popular in Syria and Turkey.
In Greece, pomegranate is used in many recipes, including kollivozoumi, a creamy broth made from boiled wheat, pomegranates, and , legume salad with wheat and pomegranate, traditional Middle Eastern lamb kebabs with pomegranate glaze, pomegranate eggplant relish, and avocado-pomegranate dip. Pomegranate is also made into a liqueur, and as a popular fruit confectionery used as ice cream topping, mixed with yogurt, or spread as fruit preserves on toast.
In Mexico, pomegranate seeds are commonly used to adorn the traditional dish chiles en nogada, representing the red of the Mexican flag in the dish which evokes the green (poblano pepper), white ( nogada sauce) and red (pomegranate seeds) tricolor.
In May 2016, the US Federal Trade Commission declared that POM Wonderful could not make health claims in its advertising, followed by a US Supreme Court ruling that declined a request by POM Wonderful to review the court ruling, upholding the FTC decision.
Pomegranates were also commonly depicted in Assyrian art pieces to depict abundance and fruitfulness with the agricultural cycle, and in the Metropolitan Museum of Art is an ivory bead object titled Pomegranate carved in the round. Today, the pomegranate remains an important symbol in modern Assyrian culture.
The pomegranate tree has been one of the most sacred and holy plants in Iran and is believed to be grown from places where the blood of Siavash (the legendary Iranian character who is known for his innocence) was spilled. It has been mentioned in Iranian Pahlavi scripts as a fruit of heaven. It is also believed that the invulnerability of Esfandiar (Iranian legend) was related to this sacred fruit. The Zoroastrians of Iran believe that pomegranate is a blessed fruit as it is served in their festivals like Mehregan and Nowruz, and especially in their wedding ceremonies to wish for the newly married couple to have healthy children in the future. They also used to plant a pomegranate tree in their fire temples to use its leaves in their ceremonies.
During the Iranian tradition, Yalda Night, people come together on winter solstice and eat pomegranate fruit to celebrate the victory of light over darkness.
In a relief from Persepolis, Darius the Great is holding a pomegranate flower with two buds. This Achaemenid king is accepting the representatives of all the subordinate lands of Greater Iran to his presence, while holding a large flower in his hand as a sign of peace and friendship.
A pomegranate is displayed on coins from Side, as Side was the name for pomegranate in the local language, which is the city's name.Turkish Odyssey Perge-Aspendus-Side-Alanya "Side was founded by Aeolians of the Aegean region. The history of the town extends back to the 7C BC. "Side" meant "pomegranate" in the local language. Until the Roman Imperial period, pomegranate was the symbol used on the coins of Side. "
The Greeks were familiar with the fruit far before it was introduced to Rome via Carthage, and it figures in multiple myths and artworks. In Ancient Greek mythology, the pomegranate was known as the "fruit of the dead", and believed to have sprung from the blood of Adonis.
The myth of Persephone, the goddess of the Greek underworld, prominently features her consumption of pomegranate seeds, requiring her to spend a certain number of months in the underworld every year. The number of seeds and therefore months vary. During the months that Persephone sits on the throne of the underworld beside her husband Hades, her mother Demeter mourns and no longer gives fertility to the earth. This was an ancient Greek explanation for the seasons.
According to Carl A. P. Ruck and Danny Staples, the chambered pomegranate is also a surrogate for the poppy's opium, with its comparable shape and chambered interior.
In another Greek myth, a girl named Side ("pomegranate") killed herself on her mother's grave to avoid suffering rape at the hands of her own father Ictinus. Her blood transformed into a pomegranate tree.
In the fifth century BC, Polykleitos took ivory and gold to sculpt the seated Argive Hera in her temple. She held a scepter in one hand and offered a pomegranate, like a "royal Globus cruciger", in the other. "About the pomegranate I must say nothing," whispered the traveller Pausanias in the second century, "for its story is somewhat of a holy mystery". The pomegranate has a calyx shaped like a crown. In Jewish tradition, it has been seen as the original "design" for the proper crown. Parashat Tetzaveh , Commentary by Peninnah Schram, Congregation B'nai Jeshurun, New York
Within the Heraion at the mouth of the Sele, near Paestum, Magna Graecia, is a chapel devoted to the Madonna del Granato, "Our Lady of the Pomegranate", "who by virtue of her epithet and the attribute of a pomegranate must be the Christian successor of the ancient Greek goddess Hera", observes the excavator of the Heraion of Samos, Helmut Kyrieleis.Kyrieleis, Helmut. "The Heraion at Samos" in Greek Sanctuaries: New Approaches, Nanno Marinatos and Robin Hägg, eds. 1993, p. 143.
In modern times, the pomegranate still holds strong symbolic meanings for the Greeks. When one buys a new home, it is conventional for a house guest to bring as a first gift a pomegranate, which is placed under/near the ikonostasi (home altar) of the house, as a symbol of abundance, fertility, and good luck. When Greeks commemorate their dead, they make koliva as offerings, which consist of boiled wheat, mixed with sugar and decorated with pomegranate. Pomegranate decorations for the home are very common in Greece and sold in most home goods stores. Christmas Traditions in Greece by folklorist Thornton B. Edwards
Pomegranates were known in Ancient Israel as the fruits that the scouts brought to Moses to demonstrate the fertility of the "Promised Land". Why Hebrew Goes from Right to Left: 201 Things You Never Knew about Judaism, Ronald H. Isaacs (Newark, 2008), page 129 The Book of Exodus describes the me'il ("robe of the ephod") worn by the Kohen Gadol as having pomegranates embroidered on the hem, alternating with golden bells, which could be heard as the high priest entered and left the Holy of Holies. According to the Books of Kings, the capitals of the two pillars (Jachin and Boaz) that stood in front of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem were engraved with pomegranates. Solomon is said to have designed his coronet based on the pomegranate's "crown" (Sepal).
Pomegranates are one of the Seven Species (Hebrew: שבעת המינים, Shiv'at Ha-Minim) of fruits and grains enumerated in the Hebrew Bible () as special products of the Land of Israel, and the Songs of Solomon mentions pomegranate six times and contains this particular quote: "Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks." ().
The handles of , when not in use, are sometimes covered with decorative silver globes similar in shape to pomegranates ( Torah rimmonim).
Consuming pomegranates on Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, is traditional because, with its numerous seeds, it symbolizes fruitfulness.
The Color of Pomegranates, a movie directed by Sergei Parajanov, is a biography of the Armenian ashug Sayat-Nova (King of Song) which attempts to reveal the poet's life visually and poetically rather than literally.
In modern times, the pomegranate has been used to symbolise national cohesion and ethnic unity by General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Xi Jinping, urging the Chinese population to "stick together like pomegranate seeds".
==Gallery==
Cultivation
P. granatum is grown for its vegetable crop, and as and shrubs in parks and gardens. Mature specimens can develop sculptural twisted bark, multiple trunks, and a distinctive overall form. Pomegranates are drought-tolerant, and can be grown in dry areas with either a Mediterranean winter rainfall climate or in summer rainfall climates. In wetter areas, they can be prone to root decay from fungus diseases. They can tolerate moderate frost, down to about .
Propagation
P. granatum reproduces sexually in nature but can be propagated using asexual reproduction. Propagation methods include layering, hardwood cuttings, softwood cuttings and tissue culture. Required conditions for rooting cuttings include warm temperatures within the 18 – 29 °C (65 – 85 °F) range and a semi-humid environment. Auxin increases rooting success rate but is not required. Grafting is possible but impractical and tends to yield low success rates.
Varieties
P. granatum var. nana is a dwarf variety of P. granatum popularly planted as an ornamental plant in gardens and larger containers, and used as a bonsai specimen tree. It could well be a wild form with a distinct origin. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Cultivars
P. granatum has more than 500 named , but has considerable synonymy in which the same genotype is named differently across regions of the world.
Production and export
The leading producers globally are India and China, followed by Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan, the US, Iraq, Pakistan, Syria, and Spain. During 2019, Chile, Peru, Egypt, Israel, India, and Turkey supplied pomegranates to the European Union market. Chile was the main supplier to the United States market, which has a limited supply from Southern California. China was self-sufficient for its pomegranate supply in 2019, while other South Asia markets were supplied mainly by India. Pomegranate production and exports in South Africa competed with South American shipments in 2012–18, with export destinations including Europe, the Middle East, the United Kingdom, and Russia. South Africa imports pomegranates mainly from Israel.
History
The pomegranate is native to a region from modern-day Iran to northern India. Pomegranates have been cultivated throughout the Middle East, India, and the Mediterranean region for several millennia, and it is also cultivated in the Central Valley of California and in Arizona. Pomegranates may have been domesticated as early as the fifth millennium BC, as they were one of the first fruit trees to be domesticated in the eastern Mediterranean region. (2025). 9780199549061, Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199549061
(2025). 9780198503569, Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780198503569
(2025). 9781581125801, Universal Publishers. ISBN 9781581125801
Use
Culinary
Pomegranate juice can be sweet or Sourness, but most fruits are moderate in taste, with sour notes from the acidic contained in the juice. Pomegranate juice has long been a common drink in Europe and the Middle East, and is distributed worldwide. Pomegranate juice is also used as a cooking ingredient. In Syria, pomegranate juice is added to intensify the flavor of some dishes such as kibbeh safarjaliyeh.
Other uses
Pomegranate peels may be used to stain wool and silk in the carpet industry.
Nutrition
The edible portion of raw pomegranate is 78% water, 19% , 2% protein, and 1% fat (table). A serving of pomegranate sarcotesta provides 11% of the Daily Value (DV) for vitamin C, 14% DV for vitamin K, and 10% DV for folate (table), while the seeds are a rich source of dietary fiber (20% DV)., NutritionData.com
Research
Phytochemicals
Processing
The phenols content of pomegranate juice is degraded by processing and pasteurization techniques.
Juice
The most abundant phytochemicals in pomegranate juice are , including the hydrolyzable tannins called ellagitannins formed when ellagic acid and gallic acid bind with a carbohydrate to form pomegranate ellagitannins, also known as punicalagins. The red color of the juice is attributed to , such as delphinidin, cyanidin, and of pelargonidin. Generally, an increase in juice pigmentation occurs during fruit ripening.
Peel
Pomegranate peel contains high amount of polyphenols, condensed tannins, catechins, and prodelphinidins. The higher phenolic content of the peel yields extracts for use in dietary supplements and food .
Seed
Pomegranate seed oil contains punicic acid (65%), palmitic acid (5%), stearic acid (2%), oleic acid (6%), and linoleic acid (7%).
Health claims
Despite limited research data, manufacturers and marketers of pomegranate juice have liberally used results from preliminary research to promote products. In February 2010, the FDA issued a warning letter to one such manufacturer, POM Wonderful, for using published literature to make illegal claims of unproven anti-disease effects.
Symbolism
Ancient Assyria
The pomegranate was an important fruit in the culture and rituals of ancient Assyria. The Mesopotamian goddess of healing, Gula, was commonly depicted with a pomegranate in her hand, symbolizing it as a means of protection and healing from sickness. Pomegranates were commonly used in ceremonies to promote agriculture and human reproduction, especially the seeds. It was believed that eating pomegranates would grant a long and prosperous life, as well as nourishment in the afterlife, due to the belief of the seeds representing eternal life.
Ancient Iran
Pomegranate, known as in Persian language, is a symbol of fertility, blessing, and favor in Iranian belief. Pomegranates are sacred in the Zoroastrianism religion and Zoroastrians used it in their religious rituals. The yellow color of the pomegranate stamens symbolizes the sun and light.
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egyptians regarded the pomegranate as a symbol of prosperity and ambition. It was referred to by the Semitic names of jnhm or nhm. According to the Ebers Papyrus, one of the oldest medical writings from around 1500 BC, Egyptians used the pomegranate for treatment of tapeworm and other infections.
Ancient and modern Greece
, Pamphylia, Turkey, 350–300 BC:
*obverse: a Crested Corinthian-helmeted bust of Athena right;
*reverse: a pomegranate fruit]]
The ancient Greece city of Side was in Pamphylia, a former region on the southern Mediterranean coast of Asia Minor (modern-day Antalya province, Turkey).
(1994). 9780890895757, Carolina Academic Press. ISBN 9780890895757
Ancient Israel and Judaism
Hebrew Bible
Some Jewish scholars believe the pomegranate was the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. "A Pomegranate for All Religions" by Nancy Haught, Religious News Service
Historical and traditional use
The pomegranate appeared on the ancient coins of Judaea, see Hasmonean, Herodian coinage and First Jewish Revolt coinage.
Talmud and Kabbalah
The pomegranate is said to have 613 seeds representing the 613 commandments of the Torah, but it is a misconception. There is no clear source for this claim, although it is used as a metaphor in the Talmud for numerous good deeds.
In European Christian motifs
In the earliest incontrovertible appearance of Christ in a mosaic, a fourth-century floor mosaic from Hinton St Mary, Dorset, now in the British Museum, the bust of Christ and the chi rho are flanked by pomegranates.Paul Stephenson, Constantine, Roman Emperor, Christian Victor, 2010:1 and fig. 1.
Pomegranates continue to be a motif often found in Christianity religious decoration. They are often woven into the fabric of and Antependium or wrought in metalwork. Pomegranates figure in many religious paintings by the likes of Sandro Botticelli and Leonardo da Vinci, often in the hands of the Virgin Mary or the infant Jesus. The fruit, broken or bursting open, is a symbol of the fullness of Jesus' suffering and resurrection.
In Islam
Ar-Rahman of the Quran mentions the pomegranate as a "favour" among many to be offered to those fearful to the "Allah" in "two Jannah".
Armenia
The pomegranate is one of the main fruits in Armenian culture (alongside and ). Its juice is used with Armenian food and wine. The pomegranate is a symbol in Armenia, representing fertility, abundance, and marriage. It is also a semireligious icon. For example, the fruit played an integral role in a wedding custom widely practiced in ancient Armenia; a bride was given a pomegranate fruit, which she threw against a wall, breaking it into pieces. Scattered pomegranate seeds ensured the bride's future children.
Azerbaijan
Every fall the Goychay Pomegranate Festival is held in the city of Goychay. iguide.travel Goychay Activities: Pomegranate Festival
China
Introduced to China during the Han dynasty (206BC–220AD), the pomegranate (), in older times, was considered an emblem of fertility and numerous progeny. Pictures of the ripe fruit with the seeds bursting forth were often hung in homes to bestow fertility and bless the dwelling with numerous offspring, an important facet of traditional Chinese culture.
India
In some Hindu traditions, the pomegranate (Sanskrit: dāḍima) symbolizes prosperity and fertility, and is associated with both Bhumidevi (the earth goddess) and Ganesha (the one fond of the many-seeded fruit).
Kurdish culture
The pomegranate is an important fruit and symbol in Kurdish culture. It is accepted as a symbol of abundance and a sacred fruit of ancient Kurdish religions. Pomegranate is used as a symbol of abundance in Kurdish carpets. Vol 2 p. 1091
Palestinian culture
In Palestinian culture, the pomegranate symbolizes fertility and is deeply embedded in folklore and traditions. A popular saying states, ‘The pomegranate fills the heart with faith,’ and it’s believed that every seed should be eaten, as one pomegranate may have come from paradise.
External links
target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> Pomegranate - Trusted Health Information (MedlinePlus)
Categories: Aphrodisiac Foods, Crops Originating From Asia, Edible Fruits, Sour Fruits, Flora Of Central Asia, Flora Of Nepal, Flora Of Western Asia, Fruits Originating In Asia, Heraldic Charges, Indian Spices, Lythraceae, Plants Described In 1753, Plants Used In Bonsai, Symbols Of Hades, Flora Of Iran, Flora Of Israel, Flora Of Palestine, Fruit Trees, Plants In The Bible, Plant Dyes, Objects In Greek Mythology, Fruit
|
|
