Pomegranates, botanically classified as Punica granatum, are ancient, sweet-tart fruits belonging to the Lythraceae family. The name Pomegranate is derived from the Latin words “pomum granatum,” meaning “apple with many seeds,” and is a descriptor used to showcase the fruit’s unique edible seeds. Pomegranates grow on small trees or shrubs ranging from 6 to 10 meters in height, and there are over 500 different cultivars grown worldwide. Red Pomegranates are the most recognized and commercially cultivated types, but Pomegranates can also be found in pink, white, yellow, and purple hues. Throughout history, Pomegranates have been used as a nutritious food and hydration source and are deeply intertwined into the cultural practices of many civilizations, seen as a symbol of life, fertility, sanctity, and vitality. In the modern-day, the seeds are consumed worldwide in both fresh and cooked preparations, favored for their sweet and tangy flavor and pigmented juice. Each Pomegranate can contain anywhere from 200 to 1,400 seeds.
Pomegranates are an excellent source of vitamin K to assist in faster wound healing, vitamin C to strengthen the immune system, fiber to regulate the digestive tract, and folate to develop red blood cells. The fruits also contain potassium to balance fluid levels within the body, manganese to maintain a healthy nervous system, and antioxidants, including punicalagin, that protect the cells against free radical damage and reduce inflammation.
Pomegranates are small to medium-sized fruits, averaging 6 to 13 centimeters in diameter, and have a round, block-like appearance with faintly squared shoulders and a multi-pointed calyx at the top of the fruit. The skin, also known as the exocarp, is firm, leathery, tough, thick, and shiny, ranging in color from dark red, white, yellow, pink to dark purple, almost black. Underneath the surface, thick, spongy, and fibrous white membranes, or the mesocarp, encase many small, tightly compacted seeds into multiple chambers. Each seed is generally red or white, angular, and hard or soft, contributing a crunchy consistency, and is enveloped in a translucent, fleshy coating known as the aril. The translucent aril is lightly pigmented with a red, white, or pale pink hue, depending on the variety, and contains flavorful juice. Pomegranates should feel heavy for their size, and the surface can be easily scratched when ripe. The seeds and arils are the only portions of the fruit consumed, contributing a sweet-tart taste with tangy, fruity, and mildly acidic notes combined with rhubarb, cranberry, grape, and red currant nuances.