Pomegranate
A pomegranate (Punica granatum) is the fruit of a bush native to the Middle East region – Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Himalayas in northern India and has been cultivated and naturalized over the whole Mediterranean region and the Caucasus since ancient times, although it is also grown commercially in California and other areas with similar climates. The fruit of the pomegranate is a berry. It is about the size of an orange with a rounded hexagonal shape, and has thick reddish skin and around 600 seeds. Each seed is surrounded by a juice-filled sac, which is pressed out during processing. The name “pomegranate” derives from Latin pomum (“apple”) and granatus (“seeded”). Pomegranate is mainly used for producing juice famous its antioxidant properties. Depending on the variety, it can be extremely sour or pleasantly tart with a degree of sweetness. Pomegranate juice is commonly boiled down into a form of molasses in Middle Eastern countries. It is also used to produce grenadine, an ingredient for a flavor enhancing and coloring mixed drinks. The scent of pomegranate is subtle, distinct, twisting the green powdery fragrance of its skin around the sweet-tart and winey aroma of the seeds.
