The Science of Spice

Flavour Group | SWEET-SOUR ACIDS | Anardana 151

Add directly to a watery sauce (no need for oil)

to infuse a dish with the spice’s pleasant tang.

Pound dried seeds for a more intense

flavour, but use a pestle and mortar as

the seeds will stick to a grinder.

Exact proportions

vary depending on

the region of

cultivation; seeds

from North India

are known for

their sourness.

23% sugar

Anardana content

11% acid

content

5% tannin

content

RELEASE THE FLAVOUR

Anardana’s main flavour profile comes

from sugars, acids, and tannins, all of

which dissolve in water.

BLENDING SCIENCE

Pomegranate’s tangy fruitiness primarily comes from its mix of acids, sugars, and tannins. The compounds

giving its appetizing aromas range from “green” hexanal and citrusy limonene to peppery myrcene and

sweet, turpentine-like carene. These compounds are pivotal when looking for suitable spice partners.

FOOD PARTNERS

Tropical fruit Sprinkle ground

anardana over a mango and lime salad.

Vegetables Add dried seeds to

braised vegetables; sprinkle whole or

ground over curried carrot or parsnip

soup, or potato and cauliflower curry.

Meatballs Make ash-e anar, an

Iranian soup containing meatballs,

pomegranate (fresh and dried), yellow

split peas, rice, and herbs.

Chicken Add dried seeds to a spiced

yogurt marinade for chicken, before

grilling or barbecuing.

Rice, chickpeas Pair with

dried fruits in a fragrant pilaf, or

scatter over fried cooked chickpeas

along with cumin and salt.

Sweet bakes Stir dried seeds into

a mix for granola bars or cookie dough.

Kitchen

creativity

Anardana is popular in northern India, where it is used as a souring agent in curries,

pakoras, and chutneys. Many Iranian dishes – such as fesenjan, a chicken and walnut

stew – combine the spice with pomegranate molasses for a richer flavour.

add complexity

to the citrus

flavours:

ginger contains

lemony citral, adding

a pungent heat

dimension

tamarind is an

ideal partner, sharing

lemony notes and

adding bready and

floral ones

boost the green notes

with another hexanal:

barberry, like

pomegranate, has a

high acid content that

produces a sour

fruitiness

bring out more

subtle pepperiness:

black pepper

shares myrcene and

deepens spicy flavours

with pungent piperine

cumin is an ideal

partner, bringing

warming, savoury

earthiness

lift the sweetness:

vanilla adds a

creaminess and

complex character

mahleb has cherry

and almond notes

cinnamon brings

warmth and

sweetness

HEXANAL

green | fruity |

grassy

LIMONENE

citrus | herby |

turpentine-like

MYRCENE

peppery | spicy |

woody

CARENE / SUGARS

sweet | pungent |

turpentine-like

Sweet-and-sour

The decidedly tart yet fruity flavour profile of anardana is due to a relatively high acid content

balancing out the fruit sugars, while large amounts of tannins provide a mouth-drying finish.

ANARDANA

Ar

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