Academics: Language, Anatomy, and History
How did we end up with this peculiarly-named fruit? The Latin for “seeded apple”—pomum granatus— is our culprit. Most other languages used this reference for their own words. English, however, did its typical thing and stole pomegranate for itself in an apparent bid to make the language even more difficult to learn.
The outside of a pomegranate is the peel. On the inside are pulpy membranes (ew) and seed casings called arils (yum). Arils are scarlet in color and are shaped a little like corn kernels. They are juicy and vary in flavor along the sweet/sour scale depending on the type of pomegranate and its ripeness. Inside the arils are the actual seeds, which are usually consumed as part of the whole aril.
Pomegranates have a massive history as a symbol of fertility and abundance in multiple cultures. What better way to begin a sexy evening? Regardless of where you stand on matters of fertility, abundance is certainly something we can all agree on as a positive sexual concept.
Pomegranates are credited with a number of health benefits. Filled with Vitamin B5 and potassium, arils eaten with the seed intact also contain unsaturated oils and other nutrients. Those tannins I mentioned earlier? Pomegranates contain a unique one high in free radicals and antioxidants. There’s even some research suggesting that poms may be useful in combating cardiovascular disease.
Naturally, the effect of pomegranate on health conditions is not entirely scientifically proven. If you’re swayed to give it a shot based on a desire to keep yourself and your bonk buddy healthy, be sure to use it in more of a “hedging your bets” fashion, rather than “all your eggs in one basket.”
It’s easier than you think! First, you want to be as sure of your selected pom as you are of your selected mate for the evening. Seek a bright-red pomegranate with hard, shiny skin. Give the crown a little squeeze for firmness—not soft and not powdery. The larger the pom, the more of it is edible.
Once you have your lovely little fruit at home, hack the thing in half, score the peel with a knife, and spank the pom over a bowl to make the arils fall out. There’s no use for the peel or pulp; serving a mound of sexy, tasty arils on a pretty little plate (or perhaps a belly?) is the way to go.
If you’ve never had pom, be sure to have a nibble before planning a date around it—you want to be sure you like it! Be prepared for a slightly messy evening, too; arils are sometimes sticky and their juice occasionally stains. While this is a downside for many people, I suggest working it into your lusty shenanigans. Lips stained red are sexy, and sticky fingers beg to be licked slick. After all of that, if things get too bad, you can always take a steamy shower together!
Grenadine, which is often used in mixed drinks, is thickened, sweetened pomegranate juice. This offers the perfect opportunity to pair some drinks (virgin or full-octane) with your pomegranate excursion. Alternately, a hearty red wine may work perfectly, as both pomegranates and red wines have tannins to thank for much of their flavor. Or, if some partners drink wine and others abstain, pouring pom juice for the sober folks is a great way to get a sexy crimson drink into everyone’s glass.
If you’re thinking of pom as an accent to a side dish or entree instead of an appetizer or after-nookie snack, you could try them sprinkled over a salad or yogurt. More adventurous types might attempt pairing pomegranate’s red-wine-like tannic structure with pork or even beef, either by adding raw arils as garnish or as a sauce with a base of pomegranate juice.
Some fancier stores may carry chocolate-covered dried pomegranate arils. Wikipedia suggests you put these into baked goods, but I will suggest you put them into a blindfolded lover’s mouth.
In the end, if dealing with slippery, sticky beads of staining juice just isn’t your idea of a fun date night, don’t despair—the pomegranate has not abandoned you! Pomegranate juice is widely available and incredibly thirst-quenching in those between-rounds moments. Who knows? Maybe all those antioxidants and heart-healthy bits will invigorate your mattress mambo to previously unknown heights. You’ll never know until you try ... which works just as well in the kitchen as it does in the bedroom!
NOM!
I had my first Pom this Thanksgiving and found the fruit completely erotic and delicious and since then I have introduced the fruit to 4 other family members and now we are all craving Poms. They are a lot of work but so delicious!
I find that when getting the seeds out doing it into a bowl of water makes less of a mess for the more juicy ones! And the white part floats while the arils sink so separation is easier!
I think I'll try the juice first.
I have always enjoyed these! They are delicious!
There delicious and work all the work!!
Definitely one of the most beautiful fruits. The seed are like little rubies, and I like the challenge of getting to them.
I love this article . Thank you
A really great tip for eating a pomegranate without making a mess is to get a big bowl and fill it with water (any temperature is fine). Make at least one cut into the pomegranate or split it in half, then submerge it into the water. You can now break it apart without juice spitting everywhere and the different parts of the pomegranate have different buoyancies. This way the seeds and slick interior membranes can separate and make for much easier process of eating the pomegranate. Unless you want to be messy.