Benefits of Pomegranate
The seeds of the pomegranate contain distinct antioxidant properties which help
in anti-aging and skin rejuvenation.
It is ideal for the treatment of acne.
Found in body creams and hair products helping to take care and moisturize hair
while preventing frizz of hair, making it look shiny and healthy.
It has beneficial properties (hair - skin - face - body) as a cosmetic.
Protects skin and hair from UV radiation.
Contains minerals and vitamins A, B, C, E, iron, potassium, fiber, carbohydrates
classifying pomegranate a super food. Generally, a pomegranate covers 40 % of
the amount of vitamin C and 25 % of folic acid daily needed as an adult.
It is excellent for the treatment of dry skin even in difficult areas such as elbows
and knees.
The astringent, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antitussive, and antidiarheal
properties of the pomegranate make it a valuable “medicine”.
Protects from brain damage, throwing blood pressure and improves sexual
function.
Used to treat chronic diarrhea, dysentery and bleeding and to treat osteoarthritis.
(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomegranate
The pomegranate /ˈpɒmɨɡrænɨt/, botanical name Punica granatum, is a fruit-bearing deciduous
shrub or small tree growing between 5–8 meters (16–26 ft) tall.
The pomegranate is considered to have originated in Iran and has been cultivated since ancient
times.[1][2][3] Today, it is widely cultivated throughout the Mediterranean region of southern
Europe, the Middle East and Caucasus region, northern Africa and tropical Africa, the Indian
subcontinent, Central Asia and the drier parts of southeast Asia.[4] Introduced into Latin America
and California by Spanish settlers in 1769, pomegranate is also cultivated in parts of California
and Arizona.[5]
In the Northern Hemisphere, the fruit is typically in season from September to February.[6] In the
Southern Hemisphere, the pomegranate is in season from March to May.
The pomegranate has been mentioned in many ancient texts, notably in Babylonian texts, the
Book of Exodus, the Homeric Hymns and the Quran.[7] In recent years, it has become more
common in the commercial markets of North America and the Western Hemisphere.[4][5]
Pomegranates are used in cooking, baking, juices, smoothies and alcoholic beverages, such as
martinis and wine.[8]
Description
The Punica granatum leaves are opposite or sub-opposite, glossy, narrow oblong, entire, 3–7 cm
long and 2 cm broad. The flowers are bright red, 3 cm in diameter, with four to five petals (often
more on cultivated plants). Some fruitless varieties are grown for the flowers alone. The edible
fruit is a berry and is between a lemon and a grapefruit in size, 5–12 cm in diameter with a
rounded hexagonal shape, and has thick reddish skin. The exact number of seeds in a
pomegranate can vary from 200 to about 1400 seeds, contrary to some beliefs that all
pomegranates have exactly the same number of seeds.[9] Each seed has a surrounding waterladen pulp—the edible sarcotesta that forms from the seed coat—ranging in color from white to
deep red or purple. The seeds are "exarillate", i.e., unlike some other species in the Myrtales
there is no aril. The sarcotesta of pomegranate seeds consists of epidermal cells derived from the
integument, and there are no arils on these seeds.[10] The seeds are embedded in a white, spongy,
astringent membrane.[11]
Cultivation
Unripened Pomegranate fruit on a small tree in India
Illustration by Otto Wilhelm Thomé, 1885
Pomegranate blossom before petal fall
Punica granatum is grown as a fruit crop plant, and as ornamental trees and shrubs in parks and
gardens. Mature specimens can develop sculptural twisted bark multi-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).[12]
Insect pests of the pomegranate can include the pomegranate butterfly Virachola isocrates and
the leaf-footed bug Leptoglossus zonatus. Pomegranate grows easily from seed, but is commonly
propagated from 25–50 cm hardwood cuttings to avoid the genetic variation of seedlings. Air
layering is also an option for propagation, but grafting fails.[4]
Varieties
Punica 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.[13] The only other species in the genus Punica is the Socotran pomegranate (Punica
protopunica), which is endemic to the island of Socotra. It differs in having pink (not red)
flowers and smaller, less sweet fruit.[14]
Cultivars
Punica granatum has more than 500 named cultivars, but the pomegranate evidently has
considerable synonymy in which the same genotype is named differently across regions of the
world.[15]
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.[15]
Etymology and terms for pomegranate in other languages
An opened pomegranate
The name pomegranate derives from medieval Latin pōmum "apple" and grānātum "seeded".[16]
This has influenced the common name for pomegranate in many languages (e.g. granada in
Spanish, Granatapfel or Grenadine in German, grenade in French, granatäpple in Swedish,
pomogranà in Venetian). Mālum grānātus, using the classical Latin word for apple, gives rise to
the Italian name melograno, or less commonly melagrana.[17]
Perhaps 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 Latin granatus with the name of the Spanish city of
Granada, which derives from Arabic.[18]
The genus name Punica refers to the Phoenicians, who were active in broadening its cultivation,
partly for religious reasons.
Garnet comes from Old French grenat by metathesis, from Medieval Latin granatum, here used
in a different meaning: "of a dark red color". This meaning perhaps originated from pomum
granatum because of the color of pomegranate pulp, or from granum in the sense of "red dye,
cochineal".[19]
The French term grenade for pomegranate has given its name to the military grenade.[20] Soldiers
commented on the similar shape of early grenades and the name entered common usage.
While most European languages have cognate names for the fruit, stemming from Latin
granatum, exceptions are the Armenian term nur, Albanian term shega, Bulgarian nar and the
Portuguese term romã which is derived from Arabic ruman, and has cognates in other Semitic
languages (e.g. Hebrew rimmon) and Ancient Egyptian rmn.
Cultural history
Pomegranate sepals and drying stamens after fertilization and petal fall
A pomegranate fruit
The pomegranate is native to Persia (modern day Iran).[21] Pomegranates also thrive in the drier
climates of California and Arizona, and have been cultivated in Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Armenia,
Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Russia, Bangladesh and the Mediterranean region for several
millennia.[22][23]
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.[citation
needed]
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 midThird millennium BC onwards.[24]
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.
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 that older specimens can attain.[25] The term "balaustine" (Latin:
balaustinus) is also used for a pomegranate-red color.[26]
Pomegranate cultivation in Italy is diffused throughout the south, especially in Olevano sul
Tusciano and the rest of Campania's area.
The ancient city of Granada in Spain was renamed after the fruit during the Moorish period.
Spanish colonists later introduced the fruit to the Caribbean and Latin 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
Pomegranate in cross section
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 very 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 subspecies of pomegranate and its ripeness.
A bowl of ash-e anar, a Persian soup made with pomegranate juice
Green salad with roast beef, pomegranate vinaigrette, and lemon juice
The pomegranate juice can be very sweet or sour, but most fruits are moderate in taste, with sour
notes from the acidic tannins contained in the juice. Pomegranate juice has long been a popular
drink in Armenian, Persian and Indian cuisine, and began to be widely distributed in the United
States and Canada in 2002.[30]
Grenadine syrup long ago consisted of thickened and sweetened pomegranate juice, but
nowadays it is usually a salesname 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]
An Indian pomegranate
Wild pomegranate seeds are used as a spice known as anardana (from Persian: anar + dana,
pomegranate + seed), most notably in Indian and Pakistani cuisine, but also as a substitute for
pomegranate syrup in Persian cuisine. Dried whole seeds can often be obtained in ethnic Indian
subcontinent 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 quality sources for
this spice.
Dried pomegranate seed, 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. Chocolate covered seeds may be added to desserts and baked items.
In the Caucasus, pomegranate is used mainly for juice.[34] In Azerbaijan, a sauce from
pomegranate juice (narsharab) 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 (Greek: ρόδι, rodi) 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.
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.
In Ayurvedic medicine
Pomegranate seeds on a plate.
In the Indian subcontinent's ancient Ayurveda system of medicine, the pomegranate has
extensively been used as a source of traditional remedies.[38]
The rind of the fruit and the bark of the pomegranate tree is used as a traditional remedy against
diarrhea, dysentery and intestinal parasites.[38] The seeds and juice are considered a tonic for the
heart and throat, and classified as having bitter-astringent taste plus a range of taste from sweet
to sour, depending on ripeneness. Thus Pomegranate is considered a healthful counterbalance to
a diet high in sweet-fatty (kapha or earth) components.[39]
Especially when sweet, pomegranate fruit is nourishing for (pitta or fire) systems and is known
as a blood builder. The astringent qualities of the flower juice, rind and tree bark are considered
valuable for a variety of purposes, such as stopping nose bleeds and gum bleeds, toning skin,
(after blending with mustard oil) firming-up sagging breasts, and treating hemorrhoids.[40]
Pomegranate juice (of specific fruit strains) is also used as an eyedrop, as it is believed to slow
the development of cataracts.[41]
Ayurveda differentiates between pomegranate varieties and employs them for different
remedies.[42]
Pomegranate has been used as a contraceptive and abortifacient by means of consuming the
seeds, or rind, as well as by using the rind as a vaginal suppository. This practice is recorded in
ancient Indian literature, in medieval sources, and in modern folk medicine.[43]
Making pomegranate juice at a stall in Turkey
Research
Nutrients and phytochemicals
Pomegranates, raw
Pomegranate seeds
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
Vitamins
(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
(4%)
Vitamin E
0.6 mg
(16%)
Vitamin K
16.4 μg
Trace metals
(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
Pomegranate seeds provide 12% of the Daily Value (DV) for vitamin C and 16% DV for vitamin
K per 100 g serving, and contain polyphenols, such as ellagitannins and flavonoids (section
below).
Pomegranate seeds are excellent sources of dietary fiber 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.[44][45]
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%).[46]
Juice, seeds and peel apparently contain steroid hormones, including estrone,[47][48] although this
is debated between Korean teams.[49]
Phenolic content
In juice
The most abundant polyphenols in pomegranate juice are the hydrolyzable tannins called
ellagitannins formed when ellagic acid binds with a carbohydrate. The different pomegranate
ellagitannins (also known as punicalagins) are granatin A and B, punicacortein A, B, C and D, 5O-galloylpunicacortein D, punicafolin, punigluconin, punicalagin, 1-alpha-O-galloylpunicalagin,
punicalin and 2-O-galloyl-punicalin.[citation needed]
The red color of juice can be attributed to anthocyanins, such as delphinidin, cyanidin and
pelargonidin glycosides (delphinidin 3-glucoside and 3,5-diglucoside, cyanidin 3-glucoside and
3,5-diglucoside and pelargonidin 3-glucoside and 3,5-diglucoside). Generally, there is an
increase in juice pigmentation during fruit ripening.[50]
The phenolic content of pomegranate juice is adversely affected by the processing and
pasteurization techniques.[51]
In other parts of the fruit
As compared to the pulp, the ellagitannin content in the peel is prominently less than the amount
of total polyphenols. This leads to the conclusion about presence of condensed tannins.[52] These
other phenolics include catechins, gallocatechins, and prodelphinidins (gallocatechin-(4→8)catechin, gallocatechin-(4→8)-gallocatechin and catechin-(4→8)-gallocatechin).[53]
The higher phenolic content of the peel is exploited in the form of extracts with an antioxidant
potential, in health supplements, biopreservatives in food applications and
nutraceuticals.[54][55][56][57]
Potential health benefits
Pomegranate ellagitannins, also called punicalagins, are tannins with free-radical scavenging
properties in laboratory experiments[58] and with potential human effects.[59] Punicalagins are
absorbed into the human body and may have dietary value as antioxidants, but conclusive proof
of efficacy in humans has not been shown.[60][61] During intestinal metabolism by bacteria,
ellagitannins and punicalagins are converted to urolithins, which have unknown biological
activity in vivo.[62][63]
In preliminary laboratory research and clinical trials, juice of the pomegranate may be effective
in reducing heart disease risk factors, including LDL oxidation, macrophage oxidative status, and
foam cell formation.[64][65][66] In mice, "oxidation of LDL by peritoneal macrophages was
reduced by up to 90% after pomegranate juice consumption...".[67]
In a limited study of hypertensive patients, consumption of pomegranate juice for two weeks was
shown to reduce systolic blood pressure by inhibiting serum angiotensin-converting enzyme.[68]
Juice consumption may also inhibit viral infections[69] while pomegranate extracts have
antibacterial effects against dental plaque.[70]
Despite limited research data, manufacturers and marketers of pomegranate juice have liberally
used evolving research results for product promotion, especially for putative antioxidant health
benefits. 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 antioxidant and
anti-disease benefits.[71][72][73]
Many food and dietary supplement makers use pomegranate phenolic extracts as ingredients in
their products instead of the juice. One of these extracts is ellagic acid, which may become
bioavailable only after parent molecule punicalagins are metabolized. However, ingested ellagic
acid from pomegranate juice does not accumulate in the blood in significant quantities and is
rapidly excreted.[74] Accordingly, ellagic acid from pomegranate juice does not appear to be
biologically important in vivo.
Clinical trial rationale and activity
Metabolites of pomegranate juice ellagitannins (urolithins) localize specifically in the prostate
gland, colon, and intestinal tissues of mice,[75] leading to clinical studies of pomegranate juice or
fruit extracts for efficacy against several diseases.
In 2013, 44 clinical trials were registered with the National Institutes of Health to examine
effects of pomegranate extracts or juice consumption on a variety of human disorders,
including:[76]
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
prostate cancer
prostatic hyperplasia
diabetes
lymphoma
rhinovirus infection
common cold
oxidative stress in diabetic hemodialysis
atherosclerosis
coronary artery disease
infant brain injury
hemodialysis for kidney disease
male infertility
aging
memory
pregnancy complications
osteoporosis
erectile dysfunction
One pilot study in adult subjects found that daily consumption of pomegranate juice over two
weeks increased salivary testosterone levels by 24% and had other effects on blood pressure,
mood, anxiety or emotions.[77]
Symbolism
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egyptians regarded the pomegranate as a symbol of prosperity and ambition. 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.[78]
Ancient Greece
Although the pomegranate was mentioned in the Ancient Greek history prior to the founding of
Ancient Rome, the Greeks were familiar with the fruit far before it was introduced to Ancient
Rome via Carthage.[79] In the Ancient Greek mythology, the pomegranate was also known as the
"fruit of the dead," and to have sprung from the blood of Adonis.[78][80]
The wild pomegranate did not occur in the Aegean area in Neolithic times. It originated in
eastern Iran and came to the Aegean world along the same cultural pathways that brought the
goddess whom the Anatolians worshipped as Cybele and the Mesopotamians as Ishtar.[citation
needed]
The myth of Persephone, the goddess of the Underworld, also prominently features the
pomegranate. In one version of Greek mythology, 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 and 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 tricked her
into eating six pomegranate seeds while she was still his prisoner and so, because of this, she was
condemned to spend six months in the Underworld every year. During these six months, when
Persephone is sitting on the throne of the Underworld next to her husband Hades, her mother
Demeter mourns and no longer gives fertility to the earth. This became an ancient Greek
explanation for the seasons.[81] Dante Gabriel Rossetti's painting Persephona depicts Persephone
holding the fatal fruit. It should be noted that the number of seeds that Persephone ate varies,
depending on which version of the story is told. The number of seeds she is said to have eaten
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]
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.[82] 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 that 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.[83] "About the pomegranate I must say nothing," whispered the traveller Pausanias in the
2nd century, "for its story is somewhat of a holy mystery."[83] In the Orion story Hera cast
pomegranate-Side (an ancient 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.[84] In some artistic
depictions, the pomegranate is found in the hand of Mary, mother of Jesus.[citation needed]
A pomegranate is displayed on coins from the ancient city of Side, Pamphylia.[85]
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.[86]
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.[citation needed]
Pomegranates are also prominent at 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.[citation needed] 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.[87]
Judaism
Pomegranates were known in Ancient Israel as the fruits which the scouts brought to Moses to
demonstrate the fertility of the "promised land".[88] The Book of Exodus[89] describes the me'il
("robe of the ephod") worn by the Hebrew High Priest as having pomegranates embroidered on
the hem. According to the Books of Kings[90] the capitals of the two pillars (Jachin and Boaz)
that stood in front of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem were engraved with pomegranates. It is
said that Solomon designed his coronet based on the pomegranate's "crown" (calyx).[84]
It is traditional to consume pomegranates on Rosh Hashana because the pomegranate, with its
numerous seeds, symbolizes fruitfulness.[91] Also, it is said to have 613 seeds, which corresponds
with the 613 mitzvot or commandments of the Torah.[92] This particular tradition is referred to in
the opening pages of Ursula Dubosarsky's novel Theodora's Gift.[93]
The pomegranate appeared on the ancient coins of Judea. When not in use, the handles of Torah
scrolls are sometimes covered with decorative silver globes similar in shape to "pomegranates"
(rimmonim). Some Jewish scholars believe that the pomegranate was the forbidden fruit in the
Garden of Eden.[91] 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 being
special products of the Land of Israel. The pomegranate is mentioned in the Bible many times,
including this quote from the Songs of Solomon, "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). Pomegranates also 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.
Christianity
Detail from Madonna of the Pomegranate by Sandro Botticelli, ca. 1487 (Uffizi Gallery, Florence)
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.[94] 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.[91]
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.
Islam
According to the Qur'an, pomegranates grow in the gardens of paradise (55:68).[91] The Qur'an
also mentions pomegranates three times (6:99,[95] 6:141,[96] 55:68[91]) as examples of good things
God creates.
Armenia
The pomegranate is one of the main fruits in Armenian culture (the others being apricot and
grapes). Its juice is famous with Armenians in food and heritage. The pomegranate is the symbol
of Armenia and represents fertility, abundance and marriage. For example, the fruit played an
integral role in a wedding custom widely accepted 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. In Artsakh, it was accepted to put fruits next to the bridal
couple during the first night of marriage. The pomegranate was among those fruits, and was said
to ensure happiness. Along with that, it is believed the newlyweds enjoyed pomegranate wine.
The symbol of the pomegranate is connected with insemination. It protected a woman from
infertility and protected a man's virile strength. Currently, pomegranate juice is popular with
Armenians in food and heritage. The Color of Pomegranates (1968) is a movie directed by
Sergei Parajanov. It is a biography of the Armenian ashug Sayat-Nova (King of Song) that
attempts to reveal the poet's life visually and poetically rather than literally.
Azerbaijan
Main article: Pomegranate Festival
Annually in October, a cultural festival is held in Goychay, Azerbaijan known as Pomegranate
Festival. The festival features Azerbaijani fruit-cuisine mainly the pomegranates from Goychay.
At the festival, a parade is held with traditional Azerbaijani dances and Azerbaijani music.[97]
Iran and ancient Persia
Black pomegranate
Pomegranate was the symbol of fertility in ancient Persian culture.[citation needed] In Persian
mythology, Isfandiyar eats a pomegranate and becomes invincible. In the Greco-Persian Wars,
Herodotus mentions golden pomegranates adorning the spears of warriors in the phalanx. Even
in today's Iran, pomegranate may imply love and fertility.[citation needed]
Iran produces pomegranates as a common crop.[citation needed] Its juice and paste have a role in
some Iranian cuisines, e.g. chicken, ghormas and refreshment bars. Pomegranate skins may be
used to stain wool and silk in the carpet industry.[citation needed]
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.
Hinduism
In some Hindu traditions, the pomegranate (hindi: Beejapuram, literally: replete with seeds)
symbolizes prosperity and fertility, and is associated with both Bhoomidevi (the earth goddess)
and Lord Ganesha (the one fond of the many-seeded fruit).[98][99] The Tamil name
maadulampazham is a metaphor for a woman's mind. It is derived from, maadhu=woman,
ullam=mind, which means as the seeds are hidden, it is not easy to decipher a woman's mind.
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.[100]