Pomegranate

POMEGRANATE

Edible

Series Editor: Andrew F. Smith

EDIBLE is a revolutionary series of books dedicated to food and drink that explores the rich history of cuisine. Each book reveals the global history and culture of one type of food or beverage.

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Game Paula Young Lee Gin Lesley Jacobs Solmonson

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Hot Dog Bruce Kraig Ice Cream Laura B. Weiss Lamb Brian Yarvin

Lemon Toby Sonneman Lobster Elisabeth Townsend

Melon Sylvia Lovegren Milk Hannah Velten Moonshine Kevin R. Kosar

Mushroom Cynthia D. Bertelsen Nuts Ken Albala Offal Nina Edwards

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Pomegranate Damien Stone Pork Katharine M. Rogers

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Rum Richard Foss Salad Judith Weinraub Salmon Nicolaas Mink

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Tequila Ian Williams Truffle Zachary Nowak

Vodka Patricia Herlihy Water Ian Miller

Whiskey Kevin R. Kosar Wine Marc Millon

Pomegranate

A Global History

Damien Stone

REAKTION BOOKS

Published by Reaktion Books Ltd

Unit 32, Waterside

44–48 Wharf Road

London N1 7UX, UK

www.reaktionbooks.co.uk

First published 2017

Copyright © Damien Stone 2017

All rights reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers

Page references in the Photo Acknowledgements and

Index match the printed edition of this book.

Printed and bound in China in/by

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

eISBN: 9781780237954

Contents

Introduction

1 The Primordial Pomegranate: The Fruit in Myth

2 Pomegranates in the Ancient World

3 Jewish and Islamic Pomegranates

4 Medieval Pomegranates

5 Pomegranate Production and Culture Today

6 The Pomegranate in Modern Literature, Art and Film

Appendix: Pomegranate Cultivars

Recipes

References

Select Bibliography

Websites and Associations

Acknowledgements

Photo Acknowledgements

Index

Introduction

The pomegranate bush raises its voice (tiny, insistent, and shrill): ‘My seeds shine like the teeth of my mistress, the shape of my fruit is round like her breasts. I’m her favourite, I know, sweetest tree in the orchard, looking my best through every season.’

Turin Papyrus, Egyptian, 12th century BC

The pomegranate is an unusual, alluring and ornamental fruit. Even though it can be rather awkward to eat, throughout human history it has remained a most desirable talismanic food item. Those who first wrote of the pomegranate, in ancient Mesopotamia, called it nurma, but for us its name derives from the Latin pomum (apple) and granatum (seeded). It is from the fruit’s distinctive shape, colour and seeds that its universal aesthetic appeal originates. The pomegranate embodies beauty, mystery and the female. Its evocative red juice has often been likened to blood.

One of the oldest foods in the world, the pomegranate seems to have come to us originally from the region that is now modern Iran, wild varieties being born of the bio-diverse Kopet Dag mountain range. It was first domesticated during the Neolithic Revolution, which began around 10,000 BC; human selection meant that the pomegranate took on appealing qualities it did not have in the wild. The pomegranate makes its first archaeological appearance at the start of the third millennium BC, in the form of carbonized pomegranate seeds excavated at the Middle Eastern sites of Jericho, Arad and Nimrud.[1] In addition to the pomegranate (Punica granatum), the genus Punica contains one other species. The rare Punica protopunica is a precursor from which the common pomegranate may derive. It is found only on the island of Socotra off the coast of Yemen. P. protopunica is generally not eaten, however, as it is rather bitter. Punica is from the same botanical family as myrtle, the Lythraceae.

Pomegranates (Punica granatum) for sale, Mysore, India.

The part of the fruit that is of most interest to us is that which is edible: the seeds. Each seed is coated in an aril, that ever-so-desirable, blood-red and juicy, sour-sweet flesh. These are set close together in kaleidoscopic clusters embedded in a yellow or white leathery pulp. The versatility of the fruit, however, extends beyond its culinary function. Its skin, for example, is known to have been used to tan leather. The flowers of the pomegranate plant can produce a vibrant red dye for use in textiles, while a black dye can be extracted from the plant’s roots. From the rind a yellow dye can be made. The pale wood of the pomegranate tree is very hard and durable. However, the small overall dimensions of the tree, with its thin trunk, makes it useless in construction (although an Old Babylonian text does refer to a 3-metre-long pomegranate beam used as a building edifice).[2] Today pomegranate wood is really only used for crafting small-scale agricultural tools and some decorative items. Cups made of pomegranate wood have been made as far back as the Bronze Age.[3]

Otto Wilhelm Thomé, Punica granatum, 19th-century botanical illustration.

The pomegranate tree, which is known to live for up to 300 years (although after fifteen years the flavour and production of the fruit declines), is shrub-like in appearance, closely branched and twiggy. Some varieties are evergreen while others are deciduous. The plant usually reaches a maximum height of about 8 metres. It can also be much smaller; dwarf pomegranates are a favourite variety of bonsai in Japan, owing to the plant’s ability to achieve a desirable twist in the wood of its trunk, as well as the appeal of its miniature red fruits and flowers. Some pomegranate varieties are fruitless and grown simply for the appeal of their bell-shaped flowers. The pomegranate tree also works well as a hedging plant and has been used to reforest mountain slopes, improving the adverse effects of erosion.

To begin our story, I will make the intimidating pomegranate a little more approachable by explaining the best way to get rid of its off-putting skin and pith, so that the reader can enjoy eating some arils as they discover this fruit’s colourful history. When purchasing a fresh pomegranate, note that the optimum fruit has smooth, glossy skin free from cracks and bruises. A pomegranate past its maturity will have dry-looking, wrinkled and tightened skin. There are over a thousand varieties of pomegranate (see Appendix for a selection of these). Although the outer skin is most commonly red, there is a full colour range from dark purple to yellow and green varieties. The inner arils likewise vary in their shade. Sometimes in a single pomegranate, arils of two different colours may be found. This is known as metaxenia, and is the result of a plant being fertilized by two different cultivars.

Pomegranate in growth.

Pomegranate tree exhibiting its flowers.

Take your chosen pomegranate and cut off just enough of its crown (known as the calyx) to expose the yellow or white pith. Score the skin downwards in quarters and then allow the fruit to soak in a bowl of cold water for a few minutes. Holding the fruit under water, break it into sections with the fingers, separating the seeds from the pith. The seeds will sink to the bottom of the bowl, while the membrane will float to the top. After discarding the skin, drain the seeds and dry on paper towels. Alternatively, cutting the fruit in half and using a utensil to smack vigorously on the back of the skin will quickly dislodge the arils, although this tends to be a messier method. Your arils are ready for immediate consumption, and for use in cooking. Alternatively, they will last for up to one month in the refrigerator, or about three months in the freezer. Many people enjoy the juicy pulp of the aril but do not like consuming the central seed itself. To juice your fruit, you can use a blender to process the arils, afterwards using cheesecloth to separate the desired liquid from the leftover solids. Otherwise the pomegranate can be cut in half and have its juices squeezed out by means of a citrus press. When the juice is boiled it becomes concentrated, eventually developing into a thick, dark molasses.