Pomegranate

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For other uses, see Pomegranate (disambiguation).
"Dalim" redirects here. For the star, see α Fornacis.
Pomegranate

Fruit of Punica granatum split open to

reveal the clusters of juicy, gem-like
seeds on the inside.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Lythraceae
Genus: Punica
Species: P. granatum
Binomial name
Punica granatum
L.
Synonyms
 Punica florida Salisb.
 Punica grandiflora hort. ex
Steud.
 Punica nana L.
 Punica spinosa Lam.[1]
The pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub or small tree in the
family Lythraceae that grows between 5 and 10 m (16 and 33 ft) tall.

The fruit is typically in season in the Northern Hemisphere from September to February,[2]
and in the Southern Hemisphere from March to May. As intact arils or juice, pomegranates
are used in baking, cooking, juice blends, meal garnishes, smoothies, and alcoholic
beverages, such as cocktails and wine.

Young pomegranate trees in Side, Turkey

The pomegranate originated in the region extending from modern-day Iran through
Afghanistan and Pakistan to northern India, and has been cultivated since ancient times
throughout the Mediterranean region.[3] It was introduced into Spanish America in the late
16th century and into California by Spanish settlers in 1769.[3]

Today, it is widely cultivated throughout the Middle East and Caucasus region, north and
tropical Africa, South Asia, Central Asia, the drier parts of southeast Asia, and parts of the
Mediterranean Basin.[3] It is also cultivated in parts of Arizona and California.[4] In the 20th
and 21st centuries, it has become more common in the shops and markets of Europe and the
Western Hemisphere.[3][4]

Contents
 1 Etymology
 2 Description
o 2.1 Fruit, arils and seeds
 3 Cultivation
o 3.1 Varieties
o 3.2 Cultivars
 4 Cultural history
o 4.1 Culinary use
o 4.2 In traditional medicine
 5 Nutrition
 6 Research
o 6.1 Juice
o 6.2 Peel
o 6.3 Ellagitannins
 o 6.4 Health claims
 7 Symbolism
o 7.1 Ancient Egypt
o 7.2 Ancient and Modern Greece
o 7.3 Ancient Israel and Judaism
o 7.4 In European Christian motifs
o 7.5 Pakistan
o 7.6 Afghanistan
o 7.7 Armenia
o 7.8 Azerbaijan
o 7.9 Bangladesh
o 7.10 China
o 7.11 Iran and ancient Persia
o 7.12 India
 8 Gallery
 9 References
 10 Further reading
 11 External links

Etymology

An opened pomegranate

The name pomegranate derives from medieval Latin pōmum "apple" and grānātum
"seeded".[5] Possibly stemming from the old French word for the fruit, pomme-grenade, the
pomegranate was known in early English as "apple of Grenada"—a term which today
survives only in heraldic blazons. This is a folk etymology, confusing the Latin granatus with
the name of the Spanish city of Granada, which derives from Arabic.[6]

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".[7]

The French term for pomegranate, grenade, has given its name to the military grenade.[8]

Description
A pomegranate shrub growing in the Draa River valley of southern Morocco

A shrub or small tree growing 5 to 10 m (16 to 33 ft) high, the pomegranate has multiple
spiny branches and is extremely long-lived, with some specimens in France surviving for 200
years.[3] P. granatum leaves are opposite or subopposite, glossy, narrow oblong, entire, 3–
7 cm (1.2–2.8 in) long and 2 cm (0.79 in) broad. The flowers are bright red and 3 cm (1.2 in)
in diameter, with three to seven petals.[3] Some fruitless varieties are grown for the flowers
alone.

Fruit, arils and seeds

Red-purple in color, the pomegranate fruit husk has two parts: an outer, hard pericarp, and an
inner, spongy mesocarp (white "albedo"), which comprises the fruit inner wall where arils
attach.[9] Membranes of the mesocarp are organized as nonsymmetrical chambers that contain
seeds inside arils, which are embedded without attachment to the mesocarp.[9] Containing
juice, the arils are formed as a thin membrane derived from the epidermal cells of the
seeds.[10][11] The number of seeds in a pomegranate can vary from 200 to about 1,400.[12]

Botanically, the edible fruit is a berry with seeds and pulp produced from the ovary of a
single flower.[10] The fruit is intermediate in size between a lemon and a grapefruit, 5–12 cm
(2–5 in) in diameter with a rounded shape and thick, reddish husk.[3]

In mature fruits, the juice obtained by compressing the arils and seeds yields a sour flavor due
to low pH (4.4) and high contents of polyphenols,[13] which may cause a red indelible stain on
fabrics.[14] Primarily, the pigmentation of pomegranate juice results from the presence of
anthocyanins and ellagitannins.[13][15]

Cultivation
Illustration by Otto Wilhelm Thomé, 1885

P. granatum is grown for its fruit crop, and as ornamental trees 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 fungal diseases. They can be tolerant of moderate
frost, down to about −12 °C (10 °F).[16]

Insect pests of the pomegranate can include the pomegranate butterfly Virachola isocrates
and the leaf-footed bug Leptoglossus zonatus, and fruit flies and ants are attracted to
unharvested ripe fruit.[17] Pomegranate grows easily from seed, but is commonly propagated
from 25 to 50 cm (10 to 20 in) hardwood cuttings to avoid the genetic variation of seedlings.
Air layering is also an option for propagation, but grafting fails.[3]

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.[18] The only other species in the genus Punica is the Socotran pomegranate (P.
protopunica), which is endemic to the island of Socotraan 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.[19]

Cultivars

P. granatum has more than 500 named cultivars, but evidently has considerable synonymy in
which the same genotype is named differently across regions of the world.[9]

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), hardness of seed, maturity, juice content and its acidity,
sweetness, and astringency.[9]
Cultural history

Pomegranate, late Southern Song dynasty or early Yuan dynasty circa 1200–1340 (Los
Angeles County Museum of Art)

Pomegranate is native to a region from modern-day Iran through Afghanistan and Pakistan to
northern India.[3] Pomegranates have been cultivated throughout the Middle East, South Asia,
and Mediterranean region for several millennia, and also thrive in the drier climates of
California and Arizona.[3][20][21]

Carbonized exocarp of the fruit has been identified in early Bronze Age levels of Jericho in
the West Bank, as well as late Bronze Age levels of Hala Sultan Tekke on Cyprus and
Tiryns.[22] A large, dry pomegranate was found in the tomb of Djehuty, the butler of Queen
Hatshepsut in Egypt; Mesopotamian cuneiform records mention pomegranates from the mid-
third millennium BC onwards.[23]

It is also extensively grown in South China and in Southeast Asia, whether originally spread
along the route of the Silk Road or brought by sea traders. Kandahar is famous in
Afghanistan for its high-quality pomegranates.[24]

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.[25] The term "balaustine" (Latin:
balaustinus) is also used for a pomegranate-red color.[26]

Coat of arms of Granada

The ancient city of Granada in Spain was renamed after the fruit during the Moorish period
and today the province of Granada uses pomegranate as a charge in heraldry for its canting
arms.[citation needed]

Spanish colonists later introduced the fruit to the Caribbean and America (Spanish America),
but in the English colonies, 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."[27]

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.[28]

Culinary use

A stall selling pomegranate juice in Xi'an, China

A bowl of ash-e anar, a Persian/Iranian soup made with pomegranate juice

After the pomegranate is opened by scoring it with a knife and breaking it open, the seeds are
separated from the peel and internal white pulp membranes. Separating the seeds is easier in a
bowl of water because the seeds sink and the inedible pulp floats. Freezing the entire fruit
also makes it easier to separate. Another effective way of quickly harvesting the seeds is to
cut the pomegranate in half, score each half of the exterior rind four to six times, hold the
pomegranate half over a bowl, and smack the rind with a large spoon. The seeds should eject
from the pomegranate directly into the bowl, leaving only a dozen or more deeply embedded
seeds to remove.[29] The entire seed is consumed raw, though the watery, tasty sarcotesta is
the desired part. The taste differs depending on the variety or cultivar of pomegranate and its
ripeness.[citation needed]

Pomegranate juice can be sweet or sour, but most fruits are moderate in taste, with sour notes
from the acidic ellagitannins contained in the juice.[15] Pomegranate juice has long been a
popular drink in Europe and the Middle East, and is now widely distributed in the United
States and Canada.[30]

Grenadine syrup long ago consisted of thickened and sweetened pomegranate juice, now is
usually a sales name for a syrup based on various berries, citric acid, and food coloring,
mainly used in cocktail mixing. In Europe, Bols still manufactures grenadine syrup with
pomegranate.[31] Before tomatoes (a New World fruit) arrived in the Middle East,
pomegranate juice, molasses, and vinegar were widely used in many Iranian foods, and are
still found in traditional recipes such as fesenjān, a thick sauce made from pomegranate juice
and ground walnuts, usually spooned over duck or other poultry and rice, and in ash-e anar
(pomegranate soup).[32][33]

Pomegranate seeds are used as a spice known as anar dana (from Persian: anar + dana,
pomegranate + seed), most notably in Indian and Pakistani cuisine. Dried whole seeds can
often be obtained in ethnic South Asian 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 a 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 regarded as 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 the Caucasus, pomegranate is used mainly for juice.[34] In Azerbaijan, a sauce from
pomegranate juice narsharab, (from Persian: (a)nar + sharab, lit. "pomegranate wine") is
usually served with fish[35] or tika kabab. In Turkey, pomegranate sauce (Turkish: nar ekşisi)
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.[36] Pomegranate
syrup or molasses is used in muhammara, a roasted red pepper, walnut, and garlic spread
popular in Syria and Turkey.[37]

In Greece, pomegranate is used in many recipes, including kollivozoumi, a creamy broth

made from boiled wheat, pomegranates, and raisins, 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
jam on toast. In Cyprus and Greece, and among the Greek Orthodox Diaspora, ρόδι (Greek
for pomegranate) is used to make koliva, a mixture of wheat, pomegranate seeds, sugar,
almonds, and other seeds served at memorial services.[citation needed]

In Mexico, they 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.

Pomegranates, raw

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)

Energy 346 kJ (83 kcal)
Carbohydrates 18.7 g
Sugars 13.67 g
Dietary fiber 4g
Fat 1.17 g
Protein 1.67 g
Quantity
Vitamins
%DV†
6%
Thiamine (B1)
0.067 mg
4%
Riboflavin (B2)
0.053 mg
2%
Niacin (B3)
0.293 mg
8%
Pantothenic acid (B5)
0.377 mg
6%
Vitamin B6
0.075 mg
10%
Folate (B9)
38 μg
2%
Choline
7.6 mg
12%
Vitamin C
10.2 mg
Vitamin E 4%
 0.6 mg
16%
Vitamin K
16.4 μg
Quantity
Minerals
%DV†
1%
Calcium
10 mg
2%
Iron
0.3 mg
3%
Magnesium
12 mg
6%
Manganese
0.119 mg
5%
Phosphorus
36 mg
5%
Potassium
236 mg
0%
Sodium
3 mg
4%
Zinc
0.35 mg

Link to USDA Database entry

 Units
 μg = micrograms • mg = milligrams
 IU = International units

†
Percentages are roughly approximated using
US recommendations for adults.
Source: USDA Nutrient Database

In traditional medicine

In India's ancient Ayurveda system of traditional medicine, the pomegranate is frequently

described as an ingredient in remedies.[38]

Nutrition
A 100 g (3.5 oz) serving of pomegranate arils provides 12% of the Daily Value (DV) for
vitamin C, 16% DV for vitamin K and 10% DV for folate (table).

Pomegranate seeds are a rich source of dietary fiber (20% DV) which is entirely contained in
the edible seeds. People who choose to discard the seeds forfeit nutritional benefits conveyed
by the seed fiber and micronutrients.[39]
Pomegranate seed oil contains punicic acid (65.3%), palmitic acid (4.8%), stearic acid
(2.3%), oleic acid (6.3%), and linoleic acid (6.6%).[40]

Research
Juice

The most abundant phytochemicals in pomegranate juice are polyphenols, including the
hydrolyzable tannins called ellagitannins[15] formed when ellagic acid and/or gallic acid binds
with a carbohydrate to form pomegranate ellagitannins, also known as punicalagins.[41]

The red color of juice can be attributed to anthocyanins,[15] such as delphinidin, cyanidin, and
pelargonidin glycosides.[42] Generally, an increase in juice pigmentation occurs during fruit
ripening.[42]

The phenolic content of pomegranate juice is adversely affected by processing and

pasteurization techniques.[43]

Peel

Compared to the pulp, the inedible pomegranate peel contains as much as three times the total
amount of polyphenols,[41] including condensed tannins,[44] catechins, gallocatechins and
prodelphinidins.[45]

The higher phenolic content of the peel yields extracts for use in dietary supplements and
food preservatives.[46][47][48]

Ellagitannins

Pomegranate ellagitannins are under preliminary research for their potential health
benefits.[49] In vitro and in vivo studies have shown that most of their observed effects are due
to a group of metabolites called urolithins which result from the transformation of
ellagitannins by the microbiota.[50]

Health claims

Despite limited research data, manufacturers and marketers of pomegranate juice have
liberally used results from preliminary research to promote products.[51] 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 benefits.[52][53][54] In May
2016, the US Federal Trade Commission declared that POM Wonderful cannot make health
claims in its advertising, followed by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that declined POM
Wonderful's request to review the court ruling, upholding the FTC decision.[55][56]

Symbolism
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.[57] 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.[58]

Ancient and Modern Greece

The Greeks were familiar with the fruit far before it was introduced to Rome via Carthage,
and it figures in multiple myths and artworks.[59]

In Ancient Greek mythology, the pomegranate was known as the "fruit of the dead" and
believed to have sprung from the blood of Adonis.[58][60]

The myth of Persephone, the goddess of the underworld, prominently features the
pomegranate. In one version of the myth, Persephone was kidnapped by Hades and taken off
to live in the underworld as his wife. Her mother, Demeter (goddess of the harvest), went into
mourning for her lost daughter; thus all green things ceased to grow. Zeus, the highest-
ranking of the Greek gods, could not allow the Earth to die, so he commanded Hades to
return Persephone. It was the rule of the Fates that anyone who consumed food or drink in the
underworld was doomed to spend eternity there. Persephone had no food, but Hades offered
her a pomegranate and she ate six seeds, so from then on had to spend six months in the
underworld every year. During these six months, while 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.[61]

The number of seeds Persephone ate varies, depending on which version of the story is told.
The number ranges from three to seven, which accounts for just one barren season if it is just
three or four seeds, or two barren seasons (half the year) if she ate six or seven seeds.[citation
needed]
Dante Gabriel Rossetti's painting, Persephona, depicts Persephone holding the fatal
fruit.

The pomegranate also evoked the presence of the Aegean Triple Goddess who evolved into
the Olympian Hera, who is sometimes represented offering the pomegranate, as in the
Polykleitos' cult image of the Argive Heraion (see below).[citation needed]

According to Carl A. P. Ruck and Danny Staples, the chambered pomegranate is also a
surrogate for the poppy's narcotic capsule, with its comparable shape and chambered
interior.[62] On a Mycenaean seal illustrated in Joseph Campbell's Occidental Mythology
(1964), figure 19, the seated Goddess of the double-headed axe (the labrys) offers three
poppy pods in her right hand and supports her breast with her left. She embodies both aspects
of the dual goddess, life-giving and death-dealing at once.

The Titan Orion was represented as "marrying" Side, a name that in Boeotia means
"pomegranate", thus consecrating the primal hunter to the Goddess.

Other Greek dialects call the pomegranate rhoa; its possible connection with the name of the
earth goddess Rhea, inexplicable in Greek, proved suggestive for the mythographer Karl
Kerenyi, who suggested the consonance might ultimately derive from a deeper, pre-Indo-
European language layer.[citation needed]
In the 5th century BC, Polycleitus 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 orb", in the
other.[63] "About the pomegranate I must say nothing," whispered the traveller Pausanias in
the 2nd century, "for its story is somewhat of a holy mystery."[63] In the Orion story, Hera
cast pomegranate-Side (an ancient Greek city in Antalya) into dim Erebus — "for daring to
rival Hera's beauty", which forms the probable point of connection with the older Osiris/Isis
story.[citation needed] Since the ancient Egyptians identified the Orion constellation in the sky as
Sah the "soul of Osiris", the identification of this section of the myth seems relatively
complete.[original research?] Hera wears, not a wreath nor a tiara nor a diadem, but clearly the
calyx of the pomegranate that has become her serrated crown.[citation needed] The pomegranate
has a calyx shaped like a crown. In Jewish tradition, it has been seen as the original "design"
for the proper crown.[64]

In some artistic depictions, the pomegranate is found in the hand of Mary, mother of
Jesus.[citation needed]

A bronze coin of Side, 350-300 BC: obverse, a Cortinthian-helmeted bust of Athena; reverse,
a pomegranate fruit

A pomegranate is displayed on coins from Side. The ancient Greek city of Side was in
Pamphylia, a former region on the southern Mediterranean coast of Asia Minor (modern-day
Antalya province, Turkey).[65]

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.[66]

Girl with a Pomegranate, by William-Adolphe Bouguereau, 1875

In modern times, the pomegranate still holds strong symbolic meanings for the Greeks. On
important days in the Greek Orthodox calendar, such as the Presentation of the Virgin Mary
and on Christmas Day, it is traditional to have at the dinner table polysporia, also known by
their ancient name panspermia, in some regions of Greece. In ancient times, they were
offered to Demeter[citation needed] and to the other gods for fertile land, for the spirits of the dead
and in honor of compassionate Dionysus.[citation needed] 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. Pomegranates are also prominent at modern Greek weddings and funerals.[citation
needed]
When Greeks commemorate their dead, they make kollyva as offerings, which consist
of boiled wheat, mixed with sugar and decorated with pomegranate. It is also traditional in
Greece to break a pomegranate on the ground at weddings and on New Years.[citation needed]
Pomegranate decorations for the home are very common in Greece and sold in most home
goods stores.[67]

Ancient Israel and Judaism

The pomegranate is mentioned or alluded to in the Bible many times. It is also included in
coinage and various types of ancient and modern cultural works.

For example, pomegranates were known in Ancient Israel as the fruits which the scouts
brought to Moses to demonstrate the fertility of the "promised land".[68] The Book of
Exodus[69] describes the me'il ("robe of the ephod") worn by the Hebrew high priest 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,[70] 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" (calyx).[64]

Some Jewish scholars believe the pomegranate was the forbidden fruit in the Garden of
Eden.[71] Additionally, pomegranates are one of the Seven Species (Hebrew: ‫שבעת המינים‬,
Shiv'at Ha-Minim) of fruits and grains enumerated in the Hebrew Bible (Deuteronomy 8:8) as
special products of the Land of Israel, and the Songs of Solomon contains this 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." (Song of Solomon 4:3).

It is traditional to consume pomegranates on Rosh Hashana because, with its numerous seeds,
it symbolizes fruitfulness.[71] Also, it is said to have 613 seeds, which corresponds with the
613 commandments of the Torah.[72] This particular tradition is referred to in the opening
pages of Ursula Dubosarsky's novel Theodora's Gift.[73]

The pomegranate appeared on the ancient coins of Judea, and when not in use, the handles of
Torah scrolls are sometimes covered with decorative silver globes similar in shape to
"pomegranates" (rimmonim).

Pomegranates symbolize the mystical experience in the Jewish mystical tradition, or

kabbalah, with the typical reference being to entering the "garden of pomegranates" or pardes
rimonim; this is also the title of a book by the 16th-century mystic Moses ben Jacob
Cordovero.

In European Christian motifs

Detail from Madonna of the Pomegranate by Sandro Botticelli, c. 1487 (Uffizi Gallery,
Florence)

In the earliest incontrovertible appearance of Christ in a mosaic, a 4th-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.[74] Pomegranates continue to be a motif often found in Christian
religious decoration. They are often woven into the fabric of vestments and liturgical
hangings 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.[71]

In the Eastern Orthodox Church, pomegranate seeds may be used in kolyva, a dish prepared
for memorial services, as a symbol of the sweetness of the heavenly kingdom.

Pakistan

The pomegranate (known as "anār" ‫ انار‬in Urdu) is a popular fruit in Pakistan. It is grown in
Pakistan and is also imported from Afghanistan.

Afghanistan

Main article: Pomegranate production in Afghanistan

Pomegranate, a favored fall and winter fruit in Afghanistan, has mainly two varieties: one
that is sweet and dark red with hard seeds growing in and around Kandhar province, and the
other that has soft seeds with variable color growing in the central/northern region. The
largest market for Afghan pomegranates is Pakistan, followed by India.[75]

Armenia

The pomegranate is one of the main fruits in Armenian culture (alongside apricots and
grapes). Its juice is used with Armenian food, heritage, or wine. The pomegranate is a symbol
in Armenia, representing fertility, abundance, and marriage. It is also a semi-religious 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 future children.[citation needed]
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.[76]

Azerbaijan

Main article: Goychay Pomegranate Festival

Black pomegranate

Pomegranate is considered one of the symbols of Azerbaijan.[77] Annually in October, a

cultural festival is held in Goychay, Azerbaijan known as the Goychay Pomegranate Festival.
The festival features Azerbaijani fruit-cuisine mainly the pomegranates from Goychay, which
is famous for its pomegranate growing industry. At the festival, a parade is held with
traditional Azerbaijani dances and Azerbaijani music.[78] Pomegranate was depicted on the
official logo of the 2015 European Games held in Azerbaijan.[79] Nar the Pomegranate was
one of the two mascots of these games.[80] Pomegranates were also featured on the jackets
worn by Azerbaijani male athletes at the games' opening ceremony.[81]

Bangladesh

The pomegranate is known as "anar", "dalim" and "bedana" in Bangladesh.

China
The pomegranate is regarded as a symbol of fertility in China

Introduced to China during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), the pomegranate (Chinese: 石
榴; pinyin: shíliu) in olden times was considered an emblem of fertility and numerous
progeny. This symbolism is a pun on the Chinese character 子 (zǐ) which, as well as meaning
seed, also means "offspring" thus a fruit containing so many seeds is a sign of fecundity.
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.[82]

Iran and ancient Persia

Iran is the second largest producer and largest exporter of pomegranates in the world. The
fruit's juice and paste have a role in Iranian cuisine, e.g. chicken, ghormas, and refreshment
bars. Pomegranate skins may be used to stain wool and silk in the carpet industry.[83]

The Pomegranate Festival is an annual cultural and artistic festival held during October in
Tehran,[citation needed] to exhibit and sell pomegranates, food products, and handicrafts.

India

In some Hindu traditions, the pomegranate (Hindi: anār) symbolizes prosperity and fertility,
and is associated with both Bhoomidevi (the earth goddess) and Lord Ganesha (the one fond
of the many-seeded fruit).[84][85]

Gallery


Pomegranate blossom before petal fall

Pomegranate sepals and drying stamens after fertilization and petal fall

Unripened pomegranate fruit on a small tree in India

A mature pomegranate fruit

 

Half peeled pomegranate

Fresh pomegranate seeds revealed through peeling

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Further reading
 Seeram, N. P.; Schulman, R. N.; Heber, D., eds. (2006). Pomegranates: Ancient Roots
to Modern Medicine. CRC Press. ISBN 978-0-8493-9812-4.
 Amos Fawole, Olaniyi; Linus Opara, Umezuruike (2013). "Developmental changes in
maturity indices of pomegranate fruit: A descriptive review". Sci. Hort. 159: 152–
161. doi:10.1016/j.scienta.2013.05.016.