Pomegranate
74549
226171179
2008-07-17T03:50:01Z
75.100.82.122
{{Taxobox
| name = Thats what she said
| image = Pomegranate fruit.jpg
| image_caption = Fruit of pomegranate
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
| subclassis = [[Rosidae]]
| ordo = [[Myrtales]]
| familia = [[Lythraceae]]
| genus = ''[[Punica]]''
| species = '''''P. granatum'''''
| binomial = ''Punica granatum''
| binomial_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
}}
The '''pomegranate''' (''Punica granatum'') is a [[fruit]]-bearing [[deciduous]] [[shrub]] or small [[tree]] growing to 5–8 m tall. The pomegranate is native to the region from [[Afghanistan]], [[Pakistan]], and [[Iran]] to the [[Himalayas]] in northern [[India]] and has been cultivated and naturalized over the whole [[Mediterranean Basin|Mediterranean]] region and the [[Caucasus]] since ancient times. It is widely cultivated throughout [[Algeria]], [[Azerbaijan]], [[Iran]], [[India]], [[Turkey]], the drier parts of [[southeast Asia]], [[Peninsular Malaysia]], the [[Indies|East Indies]], and [[tropics|tropical]] [[Africa]]. Introduced into [[Latin America]] and [[California]] by [[New Spain|Spanish]] settlers in 1769, pomegranate is now cultivated in parts of California and [[Arizona]] for juice production. <ref>Fletcher A. Super fruits set to dominate flavour market, ''FoodNavigator.com-Europe'', March 2006[http://www.foodnavigator.com/news/ng.asp?n=66783-datamonitor-flavours-antioxidant]</ref><ref>Staff Reporter. Fresh, super and organic top trends for 2008, ''FoodNavigator.com-USA'', November 2007 [http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=81699&m=1FNUN28&c=zondoewvtjilvpr]</ref> In the [[functional food]] industry, pomegranate is included in a novel category of exotic fruits called [[superfruit]]s<ref>Gross PM. Tracking market meteors: exotic superfruits, ''Natural Products Insider'', November 2007[http://www.npicenter.com/anm/templates/newsATemp.aspx?articleid=17826&zoneid=201]</ref>.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the fruit is typically in season from September to January.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fruitsandnuts.ucdavis.edu/crops/pomegranate_factsheet.shtml|title=Growing Pomegranates in California|year=1980|publisher=California Agriculture and Natural Resources|author=LaRue, James H.|accessdate=2007-10-25}}</ref> In the Southern Hemisphere, it is in season from March to May.
==Foliage and fruit==
[[Image:Illustration Punica granatum2.jpg|thumb|left|120px|Illustration by [[Otto Wilhelm Thomé]], 1885]]
[[Image:Pomegranate flowers.JPG|thumb|left|120px|Pomegranate flowers and leaves]]
The [[leaf|leaves]] are opposite or sub-opposite, glossy, narrow oblong, entire, 3–7 cm long and 2 cm broad. The [[flower]]s are bright red, 3 cm in diameter, with four to five petals (often more on cultivated plants). The [[fruit]] is between a [[lemon]] and a [[grapefruit]] in size, 5–12 cm in diameter with a rounded hexagonal shape, and has thick reddish skin and around 600 [[seed]]s.<ref>[http://www.aquaphoenix.com/misc/pomegranate/ How many seeds does a pomegranate have? (statistical analysis)], demonstrating parietal placentation.</ref> The seeds and surrounding pulp, ranging in colour from white to deep red, called [[aril]]s, are edible; indeed, the fruit of the pomegranate is a [[berry]]. There are some [[cultivar]]s which have been introduced that have a range of pulp colours such as purple.
''Punica granatum nana'' is a dwarf variety of ''P. granatum'' popularly used as [[Bonsai]] trees and as a patio plant. The only other species in the genus ''[[Punica]]'' is the Socotran pomegranate (''Punica protopunica''), which is [[endemic (ecology)|endemic]] to the island of [[Socotra]]. It differs in having pink (not red) flowers and smaller, less sweet fruit. 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 are prone to root decay from [[fungus|fungal]] diseases. They are tolerant of moderate [[frost]], down to about −10[[Celsius|°C]] (14[[Fahrenheit|°F]]).
==Etymology==
{{nutritionalvalue
| name=Pomegranate, aril only
| kJ=285
| protein=0.95 g
| fat=0.3 g
| carbs=17.17 g
| fiber=0.6 g
| sugars=16.57 g
| iron_mg=0.30
| calcium_mg=3
| magnesium_mg=3
| phosphorus_mg=8
| potassium_mg=259
| zinc_mg=0.12
| vitC_mg=6.1
| pantothenic_mg=0.596
| vitB6_mg=0.105
| folate_ug=6
| thiamin_mg=0.030
| riboflavin_mg=0.063
| niacin_mg=0.300
| right=1
| source_usda=1 }}
The name "pomegranate" derives from [[Latin]] ''pomum'' ("apple") and ''granatus'' ("seeded"). This has influenced the common name for pomegranate in many languages (e.g. [[German language|German]] ''Granatapfel'', seeded apple). The genus name ''Punica'' is
named for the [[Phoenicians]], who were active in broadening its cultivation, partly for religious reasons. In classical Latin, where "malum" was broadly applied to many apple-like fruits, the pomegranate's name was ''malum punicum'' or ''malum granatum'', the latter giving rise to the [[Italian language|Italian]] name ''melograno'', or less commonly ''melagrana''.
A widespread root for "pomegranate" comes from the Ancient [[Egyptian language|Egyptian]] ''rmn'', from which derive the [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] ''rimmôn'', and [[Arabic language|Arabic]] ''rummân''. This root was given by Arabs to other languages, including [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] (''romã'')<ref>Habeeb Salloum [http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/200102/arabian.memories.in.portugal.htm Arabian Memories in Portugal]</ref>, [[Kabyle language|Kabyle]] ''rrumman'' and [[Maltese language|Maltese]] "rummien".
The pomegranate ('rimmôn') is mentioned in the Bible as one of the seven fruits/plants that Israel was blessed with, and in Hebrew, 'rimmôn' is also the name of the weapon now called the grenade.
According to the ''[[Oxford English Dictionary|OED]]'', the word [[grenade]] originated about 1532 from the French name for the pomegranate, ''la grenade''. ''La grenade'' also gives us the word [[grenadine]], the name of a kind of fruit [[syrup]], originally made from pomegranates, which is widely used as a [[cordial]] and in [[cocktails]].
Even though this fruit does not originate from [[China]], one common nickname is "Chinese apple." In German and Dutch, the term "Chinese Apple" (apfelsine in German), refers to the [[orange (fruit)|orange]]
==Origin, cultivation and uses==
[[Image:Punica.granatum(04).jpg|thumb|left|Pomegranate leaves]]
[[Image:Punica.granatum(01).jpg|thumb|left|Young Pomegranate tree]]
The pomegranate originated from [[Persia]] and has been cultivated in the [[Mediterranean Basin|Mediterranean region]] for several millennia.<ref>S. D. Doijode, ''Seed Storage of Horticultural Crops'', p. 77</ref>
Its cultivation has a long history in [[Turkey]], where decayed pomegranates date to 1000 BC.<ref>[http://www.armenianow.com/archive/2004/2003/june13/shoppingforasymbol/index.htm The pomegranate in mythology]</ref>
Carbonized [[exocarp]] of the fruit has been identified in [[Early Bronze Age]] levels of [[Jericho]], as well as [[Late Bronze Age]] levels of [[Hala Sultan Tekke]] on [[Cyprus]] and [[Tiryns]]{{Fact|date=May 2007}}. A large, dry pomegranate was found in the tomb of [[Djehuty]], the butler of Queen [[Hatshepsut]]; [[Mesopotamian]] [[cuneiform]] records mention pomegranates from the mid-[[Third millennium BC]] onwards.<ref>[[Daniel Zohary]] and [[Maria Hopf]], ''Domestication of plants in the Old World'', third edition (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000), p. 171.</ref>
It is also extensively grown in [[Northern and southern China|South China]] and in [[Southeast Asia]], whether originally spread along the route of the [[Silk Road]] or brought by sea traders.
The ancient city of [[Granada]] in [[Spain]] was renamed after the fruit during the [[Al-Andalus|Moorish]] period. Spanish colonists later introduced the fruit to the [[Caribbean]] and [[Latin America]], but in the [[British America|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 [[Society of Friends|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... [[John Fothergill (physician)|Doctor Fothergill]] says, of all trees this is most [[:wikt:salutiferous|salutiferous]] to mankind."<ref> Quoted in [[Ann Leighton]], ''American Gardens in the Eighteenth Century: "For Use or for Delight"'', ([[University of Massachusetts]], 1986), p. 242.</ref> 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. [[Thomas Jefferson]] planted pomegranates at [[Monticello]] in 1771: he had them from [[George Wythe]] of [[Williamsburg, Virginia|Williamsburg]].<ref>Leighton, ''American Gardens'', p. 272.</ref>
===Culinary use===
{{Mergefrom|Pomegranate juice|date=July 2008}}
[[Image:Pomegranate03 edit.jpg|thumb|250px|Pomegranate fruit, opened]]
[[Image:Pomseeds2.jpg|thumb|250px|Pomegranate arils]]
[[Image:Asheanar.jpg|thumb|250px|A bowl of ''ash-e anar'', a Persian soup made with pomegranate juice.]]
After opening the pomegranate by scoring it with a knife and breaking it open, the [[aril]]s (seed casings) are separated from the [[peel (fruit)|peel]] and internal white pulp membranes. Separating the red arils is simplified by performing this task in a bowl of water, whereby arils sink and pulp floats. The entire seed is consumed raw, though the watery, tasty aril is the desired part. The taste differs depending on sub[[specie]]s of pomegranate and its ripeness. It can be very [[Basic taste#sweetness|sweet]] or [[Basic taste#Sourness|sour]], but most fruits are moderate in taste, with sour notes from the acidic [[tannin]]s contained in the aril juice.
Having begun wide distribution in the United States and Canada in 2002, [[pomegranate juice]] has long been a popular drink in [[Middle East]]ern and [[Indian cuisine]][http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/baltsun/access/1118248441.html?dids=1118248441:1118248441&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Sep+1%2C+2006&author=Jane+Porter&pub=The+Sun&desc=POMEGRANATES+GAIN+THE+SPOTLIGHT+] where it particularly is used in preparation of curd rice ([[Telugu language|telugu]]) or ''dadhojanam'' of [[Andhra Pradesh]], India.
[[Grenadine]] syrup is thickened and sweetened pomegranate juice used in [[cocktail]] mixing. Before tomato arrived in the Middle East, grenadine was widely used in many Iranian foods and is still found in traditional recipes such as ''[[fesenjan]]'', a thick sauce made from pomegranate juice and ground walnuts, usually spooned over [[duck (food)|duck]] or other [[poultry]] and rice, and in ''[[ash-e anar]]'' (pomegranate soup). [http://www.internetserver.com/isc/cookbook/asheanar2.html]
Wild pomegranate seeds are sometimes used as a spice known as anardana (which literally means pomegranate ([[anar]]) seeds (dana) in [[Persian language|Persian]]), most notably in Indian and [[Pakistan]]i cuisine but also as a replacement for pomegranate syrup in Middle Eastern cuisine. As a result of this, the dried whole seeds can often be obtained in ethnic markets. The seeds are separated from the flesh, dried for 10–15 days and used as an acidic agent for [[chutney]] and [[curry]] production. Seeds may also be ground in order to avoid becoming stuck in teeth when eating dishes containing them. Seeds of the wild pomegranate ''daru'' from the [[Himalayas]] are regarded as quality sources for this spice.
In the [[Caucasus]], pomegranate is used mainly as juice.<ref>Bulletin - Page 52 by United States Bureau of Plant Industry, Division of Plant Industry, Queensland</ref> In [[Turkey]], pomegranate sauce, ([[Turkish language|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]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Müge |last=Akgün |title="Güllaç, a dainty and light dessert" |url= http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=83942 |format= |work=Turkish Daily News |publisher=DYH |location=Istanbul |id= |pages= |page= |date=2006-09-22 |accessdate=2007-12-26 }}</ref> Pomegranate syrup or [[molasses]] is used in ''[[muhammara]]'', a roasted [[capsicum|red pepper]], [[walnut]], and [[garlic]] spread popular in [[Syria]] and Turkey.<ref>{{cite book |last=Malouf |first=Greg and Lucy |title=Saha |year=[[2006]] |publisher=Hardie Grant Books |location=Australia |isbn=0794604900 |pages=46 }}</ref> In Azerbaijan pomegranate is used to make high-quality wine, some of which is exported.
In [[Greece]], pomegranate ([[Greek language|Greek]]: ροδι, rodi) is used in many recipes, including ''kollivozoumi'', a creamy broth made from boiled wheat, pomegranates and [[raisin]]s, [[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 popular [[Greek sweets of the spoon|fruit confectionery]] used as [[ice cream]] topping or mixed with [[yogurt]] or spread as [[fruit preserves|jam]] on toast. In [[Cyprus]] as well as in [[Greece]] and among the [[Greek Orthodox]] [[Diaspora]] , ροδι is used to make kolliva, a mixture of wheat, pomegranate seeds, sugar, almonds and other seeds served at [[memorial services]].
===Potential health benefits===
[[Image:Pomegranates from eastern Afghanistan.jpg|thumb|250px|Pomegranates from eastern [[Afghanistan]] packaged for export to [[Dubai]].]]
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 B<sub>5</sub> ([[pantothenic acid]]), [[potassium]] and [[antioxidant]] [[polyphenol]]s.<ref>[http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-C00001-01c20Ws.html] Nutrition data</ref>
The most abundant polyphenols in pomegranate juice are the hydrolyzable [[tannin]]s called [[punicalagins]] which have [[free-radical]] scavenging properties.<ref>[http://www.npicenter.com/anm/templates/newsATemp.aspx?articleid=18139&zoneid=201] Gross PM. Pomegranate punicalagins</ref> Punicalagins are absorbed into the human body and may have dietary value as [[antioxidant]]s.<ref>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16988113 Seeram NP, Henning SM, Zhang Y, Suchard M, Li Z, Heber D. Pomegranate juice ellagitannin metabolites are present in human plasma and some persist in urine for up to 48 hours. ''J Nutr.'' 2006 Oct;136(10):2481-5.]</ref><ref>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17090147 Mertens-Talcott SU, Jilma-Stohlawetz P, Rios J, Hingorani L, Derendorf H. Absorption, metabolism, and antioxidant effects of pomegranate (Punica granatum l.) polyphenols after ingestion of a standardized extract in healthy human volunteers. ''J Agric Food Chem.'' 2006 Nov 15;54(23):8956-61.]</ref>
Many food and [[dietary supplement]] makers have found advantages of using pomegranate phenolic extracts instead of the juice as ingredients in their products. Many pomegranate extracts are essentially [[ellagic acid]] which may absorb into the body only after parent molecule [[polyphenol]]ic [[punicalagin]]s are consumed.
In preliminary laboratory research and human pilot studies, juice of the pomegranate has been found effective in reducing [[heart disease]] risk factors, including [[LDL oxidation]], [[macrophage]] oxidative status, and [[foam cell]] formation,<ref> [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=15158307&query_hl=2&itool=pubmed_docsum] [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=15383223&query_hl=2&itool=pubmed_docsum] [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=11481398&query_hl=2&itool=pubmed_docsum]</ref> all of which are steps in [[atherosclerosis]] and [[cardiovascular disease]]. Tannins such as punicalagins have been identified as the primary components responsible for the reduction of [[oxidative stress]] which led to these risk factors.<ref> [http://www.npicenter.com/anm/templates/newsATemp.aspx?articleid=18139&zoneid=201] Gross PM. Pomegranate punicalagins</ref> Pomegranate has been shown to reduce systolic blood pressure by inhibiting serum [[angiotensin-converting enzyme]] (ACE).<ref>Aviram M, Dornfeld L.
[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=11500191&query_hl=1&itool=pubmed_docsum Pomegranate juice consumption inhibits serum angiotensin converting enzyme activity and reduces systolic blood pressure] ''[[Atherosclerosis]]'' 2001 Sep;158(1):195–8</ref>
Containing [[polyphenol]]s which inhibit [[estrogen]] synthesis, pomegranate [[seed]] oil was effective against proliferation of [[breast cancer]] cells in vitro.<ref>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12002340 Kim ND et al. Chemopreventive and adjuvant therapeutic potential of pomegranate (Punica granatum) for human breast cancer. ''Breast Cancer Res Treat.'' 2002 Feb;71(3):203-17.] 9 January 2008</ref>
The juice may also have [[antiviral]]<ref>{{cite journal |author=Neurath AR, Strick N, Li YY, Debnath AK |title=Punica granatum (Pomegranate) juice provides an HIV-1 entry inhibitor and candidate topical microbicide |journal=BMC Infect. Dis. |volume=4 |issue= |pages=41 |year=2004 |pmid=15485580 |doi=10.1186/1471-2334-4-41}}</ref> and antibacterial effects against [[dental plaque]].<ref>{{cite journal |author=Menezes SM, Cordeiro LN, Viana GS |title=Punica granatum (pomegranate) extract is active against dental plaque |journal=Journal of herbal pharmacotherapy |volume=6 |issue=2 |pages=79–92 |year=2006 |pmid=17182487| doi = 10.1300/J157v06n02_07}}</ref>
====Clinical trial rationale and activity====
Metabolites of pomegranate juice ellagitannins localize specifically in the prostate gland, colon and intestinal tissues of mice,<ref>Seeram NP, Aronson WJ, Zhang Y et al. Pomegranate ellagitannin-derived metabolites inhibit prostate cancer growth and localize to the mouse prostate gland. ''J Agric Food Chem.'' 2007 Sep 19;55(19):7732-7. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=retrieve&db=pubmed&list_uids=17722872 Abstract]</ref> leading to speculation that pomegranate juice or fruit extracts may be effective against [[prostate cancer]], [[lung cancer]]<ref>[http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-09/uow-cpp092205.php Can pomegranates prevent prostate cancer? A new study offers promise] 26 September 2005</ref><ref>BBC [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5132546.stm Juice 'can slow prostate cancer'] 1 July 2006</ref> or osteoarthritis.<ref>[http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/09/050901072114.htm Pomegranate Fruit Shown To Slow Cartilage Deterioration In Osteoarthritis]</ref><ref>Khan N, Afaq F, Kweon MH, Kim K, Mukhtar H. Oral consumption of pomegranate fruit extract inhibits growth and progression of primary lung tumors in mice. Cancer Res. 2007 Apr;67(7):3475-82.[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17389758 Abstract]</ref>
In 2008, 10 [[clinical trial]]s in the United States, Israel and Norway were underway to examine the effects of pomegranate juice consumption on various diseases, such as prostate cancer or prostatic [[hyperplasia]], [[diabetes]] or [[lymphoma]].<ref>[http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term=pomegranate] NIH-listed human clinical trials on pomegranate</ref> Nine studies have not concluded (April 2008) but interim reports released to the public media were that pomegranate juice may slow onset or development of prostate cancer (above). Additionally, a 461 patient phase III clinical study of the potential benefits of 16 weeks of consuming pomegranate juice concentrate against the [[influenza virus]] and [[common cold]] completed in June 2007, with no results yet reported.<ref>Pomegranate Products for Prevention of Common Cold
[http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00617318?term=pomegranate&rank=3]</ref>
==Pomegranates and symbolism==
===Judaism===
[[Exodus]] {{bibleverse-nb||Exodus|28:33–34|HE}} directed that images of pomegranates be woven onto the hem of the [[me'il]] ("robe of the [[ephod]]"), a robe worn by the [[Hebrews|Hebrew]] [[Kohen Gadol|High Priest]]. [[Books of Kings|1 Kings]] {{bibleverse-nb|1|Kings|7:13–22|HE}} describes pomegranates depicted on the capitals of the two pilars ([[Jachin and Boaz]]) which stood in front of the [[Solomon's Temple|temple]] King [[Solomon]] built in [[Jerusalem]]. It is said that Solomon designed his coronet based on the pomegranate's "crown" (calyx).<ref name=PT/> Jewish tradition teaches that the pomegranate is a symbol for righteousness, because it is said to have 613 seeds which corresponds with the [[613 mitzvot]] or [[commandments]] of the [[Torah]]. However, the actual number of seeds varies with individual fruits.<ref>Alexander Haubold, [http://www.aquaphoenix.com/misc/pomegranate/ How many seeds does a pomegranate have? And does a larger pomegranate yield proportionally more seed volume?]</ref> For this reason and others, many Jews eat pomegranates on [[Rosh Hashanah]]. It is also a symbol of fruitfulness.<ref name=PomRel/> The pomegranate is one of the few images which appear on ancient coins of Judea as a holy symbol, and today many [[Torah scroll]]s are stored while not in use with a pair of decorative hollow silver "pomegranates" (''[[rimmonim]]'') placed over the two upper scroll handles. Some Jewish scholars believe that it was the pomegranate, not the apple, that was the [[forbidden fruit]] of the [[Garden of Eden]].<ref name=PomRel>[http://www.beliefnet.com/story/179/story_17974_2.html "A Pomegranate for All Religions"] by Nancy Haught, ''Religious News Service''</ref> Pomegranate is one of the [[Seven Species]] (Hebrew: שבעת המינים, ''Shiv'at Ha-Minim''), the types of fruits and grains enumerated in the [[Hebrew Bible]] ({{bibleverse||Deuteronomy|8:8|HE}}) as being special products of the [[Land of Israel]].
[[Image:Botticelligranat bild.jpg|thumb|Detail from ''[[Madonna of the Pomegranate]]'' by [[Sandro Botticelli]], ca. 1487 ([[Uffizi Gallery]], [[Florence]]).]]
===Christianity===
For the same reasons, pomegranates are a motif found in [[Christianity|Christian]] religious decoration. They are often woven into the fabric of [[vestment]]s and [[Antependium|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 his [[Death of Jesus|suffering]] and [[Resurrection of Jesus|resurrection]].<ref name=PomRel/> In the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], pomegranate seeds may be used in [[kolyva]], a dish prepared for [[panikhida|memorial services]], as a symbol of the sweetness of the [[Heaven#In Orthodox Christianity|heavenly kingdom]].
===Islam===
According to the [[Qur'an]], pomegranates grow in the gardens of paradise (55:068). According to [[Islam]]ic tradition, every seed of a pomegranate must be eaten, because one can't be sure which aril came from paradise. The [[Prophet]] [[Mohammed]] is said to have encouraged his followers to eat pomegranates to ward off envy and hatred.<ref name=PomRel/> The [[Qur'an]] also mentions (6:99, 6:141) pomegranates twice as examples of good things God creates.
===Greece and Greek mythology===
The wild pomegranate did not grow natively 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 [[Anatolia]]ns worshipped as [[Cybele]] and the [[Mesopotamia]]ns as [[Ishtar]].
The myth of [[Persephone]], the [[chthonic]] goddess of the [[Greek underworld|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 leave 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 four pomegranate seeds while she was still his prisoner and so, because of this, she was condemned to spend four months in the Underworld every year. During these four 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. [[Dante Gabriel Rossetti]]'s painting ''[[:Image:Rosetti02.jpg|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. There is no set number.
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 of Argos|Heraion]] (see below). According to [[Carl A. P. Ruck]] and [[Danny Staples]], the chambered pomegranate is also a surrogate for the poppy's [[opium|narcotic capsule]], with its comparable shape and chambered interior.<ref>Ruck and Staples, ''The World of Classical Myth'', 1994.</ref> 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 (mythology)|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 (mythology)|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|pre-Indo-European language]] layer.
[[Image:Pomegranate opened.jpg|thumb|Pomegranate — opened up]]
In the 6th century BC, [[Polykleitos]] 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. "About the pomegranate I must say nothing," whispered the traveller [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]] in the [[2nd century]], "for its story is something of a mystery." Indeed, in the Orion story we hear that 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. 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. Hera wears, not a wreath nor a tiara nor a diadem, but clearly the [[calyx (flower)|calyx]] of the pomegranate that has become her serrated crown. The pomegranate has a calyx shaped like a crown. In Jewish tradition it has been seen as the original "design" for the proper crown.<ref name=PT>[http://www.bj.org/parashat_hashavua/parashat_tetzaveh_5765.php ''Parashat Tetzaveh''], Commentary by Peninnah Schram, Congregation B'nai Jeshurun, New York</ref> In some artistic depictions, the pomegranate is found in the hand of [[Mary, the mother of Jesus|Mary]], mother of Jesus.
In modern times the pomegranate still holds strong symbolic meanings for the Greeks. On important days in the [[Greek Orthodox Church|Greek Orthodox]] calendar, such as the [[Candlemas|Presentation of the]] [[Mary, the mother of Jesus|Virgin Mary]] and on [[Christmas|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]]{{Fact|date=February 2007}} and to the other gods for fertile land, for the spirits of the dead and in honor of compassionate [[Dionysus]].
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 Greek weddings and funerals. When Greeks commemorate their dead, they make ''[[koliva|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. Pomegranate decorations for the home are very common in Greece and sold in most homegoods stores.<ref>[http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:CehRcicwl6gJ:www.christmasmagazine.com/en/spirit/xmas_greece.asp+pomegranate+New+Years+Greek+good+luck&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=9 Christmas Traditions in Greece] by folklorist Thornton B. Edwards</ref>
==Other==
[[Image:WhitePomegranate.JPG|thumb|Tree of the white pomegranate]]
*The pomegranate is the symbol and [[heraldry|heraldic device]] of the city of [[Granada]] in [[Andalusia]], Spain.
*Pomegranate is one of the symbols of [[Armenia]], representing fertility, abundance and marriage.
*It is the official logo of many cities in [[Turkey]].
*Pomegranate juice is used for natural [[dyeing]] of non-[[Synthetic fiber|synthetic fabric]]s.
*Although not native to [[China]], [[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.
*Balaustines, the [[red]] [[rose|rose-like]] [[flower]]s of the pomegranate, taste bitter and may be used as an [[astringent]] in [[folk medicine]].<ref>[http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/HistSciTech/HistSciTech-idx?type=turn&entity=HistSciTech000900240228&isize=L History of Science: Cyclopædia, or, An universal dictionary of arts and sciences…]</ref> The term "balaustine" ([[Latin language|Latin]]: ''balaustinus'') is also used for a pomegranate-red color.<ref>Pavey, Don and Roy Osborne. 2003. ''On Colours 1528: A Translation from Latin''. ISBN 1-58112-580-1</ref>
*In [[Mexico]], pomegranate seeds are an essential ingredient of [[chiles en nogada]], a favored food symbolizing the red component of the national flag.
*[[Kandahar]] is famous in [[Afghanistan]] for its high quality pomegranates.
*Pomegranate is displayed on [[Coinage of Side|coins from the ancient city of Side]], Pamphylia<ref>Greek Coins and their values, David R. Sear.</ref>.
==References==
{{Reflist|2}}
==Further reading==
*Graham, S. A., J. Hall, K. Sytsma & S. Shi. 2005. Phylogenetic analysis of the Lythraceae based on four gene regions and morphology. ''Int. J. Pl. Sci''. 166: 995–1017.
==External links==
{{commons|Punica_granatum}}
{{Wikibookspar|Cookbook|Pomegranate}}
{{wiktionary}}
*[http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/pomegranate.html Pomegranate Fruit Facts]
*[http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6411097 Pomegranates: Jewels in the Fruit Crown]
*[http://altmedicine.about.com/od/druginteractions/a/pom_interaction.htm Potential Pomegranate Drug Interactions]
*[http://www.pomegranates.org/home.shtml Pomegranate Council (California, US)- Recipes, News, and Info]
*[http://www.pomegranateindia.org/associates.htm Maharashtra Pomegranate Growers Research Association, Pune]
[[Category:Lythraceae]]
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[[Category:Flora of Armenia]]
[[Category:Fruits of Iran]]
[[Category:Trees of Iran]]
[[Category:Trees of Mediterranean climate]]
[[Category:Christian liturgy, rites, and worship services]]
[[Category:Eastern Orthodoxy]]
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[[Category:Flora of the Maldives]]
[[Category:Medicinal plants]]
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