The Science of Spice

150 Spice Profiles

The plant

Anardana comes from the fruits

of a large flowering shrub in the

loosestrife family. It is deciduous

in temperate climates but

evergreen in some tropical regions.

Dried fruitlets

Consisting of seeds surrounded by

fleshy aril (pulp), these are slightly

soft, sticky, and semi-moist.

Powder

Dried fruitlets

are also available

ground into

powdered form.

Round fruits are

technically berries

Slow-dried

fruitlets are

reddish-brown to

black in colour

Leathery skin

protects ruby-like

fruitlets separated

by white pith

Hibiscus-like

flowers can be

bright orange-

red or white

BOTANICAL NAME

Punica granatum

ALSO KNOWN AS

Pomegranate.

MAJOR FLAVOUR COMPOUNDS

Citric acid and malic acid.

PARTS USED

Fruitlets (incorrectly called seeds).

METHOD OF CULTIVATION

The fruit is cut off the tree when fully

ripe, but before it splits open.

COMMERCIAL PREPARATION

The seeds and pulp are separated from the

bitter white membrane and dried in the sun.

NON-CULINARY USES

The seeds and rind are widely used in

Indian, traditional European, and Middle

Eastern medicine to reduce fever, aid

digestion, and as an anti-inflammatory.

TURKEY

CHINA

INDIA

MIDDLE EAST

CAUCASUS

ANARDANA

Sweet | Sour | Fruity

Pomegranate has been grown for

at least 5,000 years, making it one of

the oldest cultivated fruits, probably

originating in and around Persia (now

Iran). By the early Bronze Age,

cultivation had spread throughout the

southern Mediterranean and eastwards

to India and China. Its abundant seeds

made the pomegranate an enduring

symbol of fertility in many ancient

cultures, notably Egypt, where

pomegranate motifs can be found in

temples and tombs. In the Graeco-

Roman period, physicians prescribed

it to treat tapeworm, and the Roman

recipe book Apicius contains a recipe

for a digestive pomegranate drink

supposedly enjoyed by Emperor

Nero. The culinary home of the

dried spice in particular remains, as

it has for millennia, in Indian and

Persian cuisine.

Spice story

Region of cultivation

Pomegranate is native to and mainly cultivated in

the Middle East, Turkey, the Caucasus, and India;

it is also cultivated in Southeast Asia and in China.

SOUTHEAST ASIA

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