The world of pomegranates

A brief sampling of pomegranates in mythology.

In the myth of Persephone, the god of the underworld (Hades) offered her a pomegranate and she ate six seeds, so from then on had to spend six months in the underworld every year. In modern-day Greece, pomegranate makes a fine housewarming gift, which is placed at the home altar as a symbol of abundance, fertility and good luck.

Solomon is said to have designed his coronet based on the pomegranate's “crown” (calyx). Pomegranates symbolize the mystical experience in the kabbalah, with references to entering the “garden of pomegranates” (pardes rimonim). Some Jewish scholars believe the pomegranate was the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden.

The ancient Spanish city of Granada was renamed after the fruit during the Moorish period and today the province of Granada uses it in its heraldry. Pomegranates continue to be a motif in Christian religious decoration, often woven into the fabric of vestments and liturgical hangings or wrought in metalwork.

Here the pomegranate represented fertility, abundance and marriage. The fruit played an integral role in a wedding custom widely practiced in ancient Armenia: A bride threw a pomegranate against a wall, breaking it into pieces. Scattered pomegranate seeds ensured the bride future children.

Ancient Egyptians regarded the pomegranate as a symbol of prosperity and ambition. Representations of the fruit were found on Egyptian wall paintings in tombs, symbolizing life after death. King Tut is reputed to have taken a pomegranate vase into the afterlife with him.

Iran is the largest exporter of pomegranates in the world. Pomegranate skins are sometimes used to stain wool and silk in the carpet industry while the Pomegranate Festival is one of the country’s most notable cultural and artistic festivals.

Greece.

Israel.

Spain.

Armenia.

Egypt.

Iran.

Culinary uses

Pomegranate seeds and juice add zest and a unique flavor to a variety of dishes. Here are a few suggestions:

 Add the seeds to an eggplant and pistachio flatbread.

 Add seeds to a fennel and endive salad to give it a kick; reinvent bulgur salad with a generous helping of the seeds; or add them to a citrus salad for a flavor note that will delight your culinary companions.

 Pomegranates work surprisingly well with meat. Change up brisket by adding a generous amount of pomegranate gremolata, made with parsley, mint, shallots, lemon zest and pomegranate seeds. Braise short ribs using both the juice and the seeds to create a culinary delight. For lighter fare, reduce pomegranate juice to a syrupy glaze and burnish a roast chicken, adding the seeds to the side.

 For a sumptuous meatless dish, make a pomegranate vinaigrette to add to roasted vegetables.

 Pomegranate is perfect for drinks, too, especially in cocktails.

Getty Images The pomegranate’s lush red flowers, above left, make it a favorite as an ornamental plant.