Pomegranate is Derived from the POMUM and GRANATUS…

The name “pomegranate” derives from Latin pomum meaning “apple” and granatus meaning “seeded”.  The French meaning for this lovely fruit however “pomme-grenade” means APPLE-GRENADE!  Aka The Apple Bomb! It definitely feels that way when those little seeds are exploding in your mouth!

The Pomegranate

Type of Cuisine: It’s not a cuisine, it’s a fruit, but the pomegranate is mostly native to the Iranian Plateau and the Himalayas in Northern India. It is cultivated throughout Iran, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iraq, Egypt, China, Burma, Saudi Arabia, Israel, the drier parts of southeast Asia, the Mediterranean region of Southern Europe, and tropical Africa. Introduced into Latin America and California by Spanish settlers in 1769, the pomegranate is now cultivated in parts of California and Arizona for juice production. Although I must say it’s much tastier when not in juice form, it’s not so tasty in large doses, each seed packs a very concentrated burst of flavour and as much as it is good for you, I’m not sure it succeeds and gets its point across in juice form.

Crack Open A Delicious Red Pomegranate

Where did you have it: I was fortunate enough to have a wide variety of fruits on the table growing up which is when I first discovered this fruit. I remember it being a lot more messy and a lot more frustrating to eat but lately I’ve got my hands on about a dozen for a low low price and discovered that it takes just a few minutes to fully clean and seed this fruit and I’ve been eating about one every day…sometimes two!

How much?: I couldn’t say it really depends on the time of year and your location, the ones I’ve got my hands on where about $10 for a case of more than 24…

Rate it 1 to 10 : Love this fruit so it’s a 10, it’s a good snack, I’m a crunchy snack kind of person, you know the nervous type so this is a perfect combination, pitting the fruit releases some stress, crunching down on the seeds while they burst with juice and flavour is another great bonus!

Pomegranate Close Up Looks Like Precious Red Rubies

The best of the POMEGRANATE:

• Pomegranate aril juice provides about 16% of an adult’s daily vitamin C requirement per 100 ml serving, and is a good source of vitamin B₅, and potassium.

• Pomegranate seeds are listed as high-fiber and supply unsaturated oils.
• The antioxidant capacity of pomegranate juice is measured at 2,860 units per 100 grams.
• Studies suggest that pomegranate is effective in reducing heart disease risk factors
• Pomegranate juice is shown to reduce systolic blood pressure
• Juice consumption may also inhibit viral infections
  
• Pomegranate extracts have antibacterial effects against dental plaque
• Extracts of the fruit can inhibit the proliferation of human breast cancer cells
• In 2010, 23 clinical trials were registered with the National Institutes of Health to examine effects of pomegranate extracts or juice consumption on the following diseases
  1. prostate cancer
  2. prostatic hyperplasia
  3. diabetes
  4. lymphoma
  5. rhinovirus infection (completed, July 2008)
  6. common cold (completed, June, 2007)
  7. oxidative stress in diabetic hemodialysis
  8. atherosclerosis
  9. coronary artery disease
  10. infant brain injury
  11. hemodialysis for kidney disease

Do you like Pomegranates?