Pomegreat Pomegranate Juice Drink

There was an old Pomegranate tree in our garden, when I was a child in Australia. It had been inexpertly pruned at some stage, and was a slightly untidy shape, but with its pale green leaves, and those rosy-yellow fruit suspended like huge, half-exploded seedpods, it really was beautiful. The fruit always dangled for several weeks in the summer, whilst the birds attended to them, and would then lay scattered in disarray on the lawn underneath. I admired the pomegranates, with their strange and mysterious form, and I was rather proud to have a Pomegranate tree, but I never really knew quite what to make of it. The tree itself wasn't suitable for climbing, and the fruit never seemed particularly suitable for eating. My mother would occasionally sprinkle the seeds on salads, but this habit, no doubt pilfered from some Elizabeth David tome or other, always seemed little more than a decorative gesture.

THE FRUIT: The Pomegranate is an especially unique and unusual fruit. After flowering it appears as a small, hard, ball, and then grows almost to the size of a grapefruit, with a little frilled crown at one end. Slowly, in the sunshine, it begins to open, splitting into several parts like a quartered orange, revealing the plump seeds within. These are a pale, creamy white at first, gradually becoming pink and then a deep shade of red when fully ripened. The Pomegranate's name is derived from this profusion of seeds, stemming from the Latin pomum granatum (apple of many seeds). The seeds themselves are comprised of a hard little pip encased in a small sack of juice. This juice is very rich, simultaneously sweet and sour, even bitter, and the flavour is absolutely distinctive.

THE HYPE: Long revered and mythologized in the Mediterranean and the Middle East, the Pomegranate has recently risen to prominence here, and now seems almost certain to usurp the Blueberry as the super fruit du jour. Food writer Nigel Slater, amongst others, has raved about the Pomegranate, with Slater professing to drink its juice by the gallon. Dishes featuring the Pomegranate, and recipes for such delights as Pomegranate ice cream are frequently appearing on restaurant menus and in fashionable cookery books. Furthermore, an array of spectacular claims has been made regarding its nutritional properties and health benefits. Following on from all of this positive press, several new pomegranate products, particularly pomegranate juices, have recently made their way onto the supermarket shelves, and 'Pomegreat' is possibly the best known amongst them.

THE JUICE: I discovered Pomegreat last summer, and was instantly hooked. Usually sold in one litre cartons, 'Pomegreat' isn't really a juice at all, but rather, one of those so-called 'juice drinks', with added ingredients. You could certainly be forgiven for imagining, on the strength of the packaging at least, that you were purchasing a pomegranate juice. Alas, pomegranate juice actually only comprises 30% of the total ingredients. A further 7% is Aronia Berry juice (hmmm…whatever that is) and the remainder consists of water, concentrated fruit extracts and natural flavourings.

When poured into a glass, the juice is a very attractive, deep red colour, a little redolent of cranberry juice. It has quite a strong, complex fragrance, rather zesty and very pleasant. Like the juice itself, the scent is both sweet and tart, a little like a just-ripe Cox apple, but with greater depth. It is difficult to describe without sounding a little foolish or pretentious, I'm no gourmand or connoisseur, and couldn't even describe a decent wine with any skill, but I suspect this drink rather defies description, as it is really completely unique. Essentially, I suppose, it smells mainly of pomegranates.

As to the taste, well, in my opinion it is decidedly unusual and quite simply delicious. The drink has great depth of flavour, simultaneously sweet and piquant, rich and yet refreshing. The Pomegreat website claims that in a recent trial, 91% of people who sampled the drink declared that they loved it. Frankly, I'm a little surprised by this statistic, because I would have assumed it was an acquired taste, due to its tartness. But then again, it isn't entirely dissimilar to Cranberry juice, another tart juice that is obviously very popular. Unlike Cranberry juice, however, this has a very complex and involved flavour, with a slightly bitter undertone and an intense aftertaste. In any event, it is extremely refreshing, especially when served ice-cold. I imagine it would probably make an excellent base for a summer cocktail, too.

Pomegreat juice is sold both in a litre carton, and smaller bottles. Other varieties include Pomegranate 100, a blend of pomegranate and grape juices, with each carton marketed as containing the juice of 10 whole pomegranates, a Pomegranate & Blueberry variety, as well as Pomegranate and Raspberry. I've tried the version with blueberries, and it is certainly very tasty, but I probably prefer the original version, which has a stronger and more distinctive flavour.

Pomegreat's packaging is much as it appears in the above picture, although it now has a slightly simpler design, and is mainly red and yellow in colour. The recyclable, Tetra-Pak cartons are slightly taller and narrower than usual for juice containers, making them a good size for fitting in the fridge without occupying too much space. Much is made on the packaging of Pomegranate's nutritional properties, and the fact that it is approved by the Heart UK charity, the insignia of which appears not only on the front, but also on the back and side of the carton. The juice is fortified with vitamins A, C and E and a 250ml glass contains 100% of the RDA of Folic Acid. Which brings us to…THE HEALTH BENEFITS: The Ancient Egyptians and Babylonians valued the pomegranate for its health-giving properties, and revered it as a symbol both of fertility and rebirth. According to Pomegreat's website, traditional uses for pomegranates include treatments for 'snakebites, burns, diabetes and leprosy'. The fresh fruit has also been used to lower fever, and the Chinese 'regard pomegranate juice as a longevity drug'. More recent scientific studies have uncovered uniquely beneficial compounds, found in the pomegranate's leaves, flesh, and flowers. The plant is exceptionally high in anti-oxidants, which help to protect the body against various cancers, as well as natural oestrogens. The juice can also help to lower cholesterol. In addition to these and other nutritional benefits, Pomegreat does not contain any added sugars, artificial sweeteners, colourings or flavourings, and is undoubtedly an exceptionally healthy drink. Pomegranates themselves may be difficult to source, and tricky to eat, so this juice-drink seems an easy and enjoyable way to gleam some of the fruits nutritional benefits.FINALLY… In Greek mythology, Persephone was condemned to spend part of each year with King Hades in the Underworld, as punishment for eating a few stolen seeds of the pomegranate. When I was about ten, I was chosen to play Persephone in a school play. As I recall I spent hours circling our old Pomegranate tree in the garden, searching for the most perfect specimen to compliment my role. I held it aloft in my one critical scene, pausing for effect before melodramatically nibbling on a couple of the bittersweet little seeds. Presumably to lend an air of antiquity to the performance, the play was held on the school lawn. Twenty little girls stood draped in their mother's best bed linen. It was a tragic scene, and Persephone's fate seemed an unfair and foolish exchange to me at the time, but I'm beginning to feel for her just a little more now, and to understand why she succumbed to that temptation… After all, Pomegranates really are absolutely delicious.

http://www.pomegreat.com