Avenue Vine

AUTUMTINI RECEIPT:
Ingredients:
Absolute Vodka, Pear flavor
Sparkling Apple Cider
Pomegranate Juice

Garnish:
Candy Apple Alice or
Floating Cranberry, which ever you prefer

Some Pomegranate History and Folklore:
Long before, prophet Mohammed praised this ancient fruit, and recommended, "Eat pomegranate, for it cleanses the body of hatred and envy." Jews and Persians held the pomegranate in high regard as the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil mentioned in the Bible. The word pomegranate is derived from middle French "pome garnete' and literally means 'seeded apple."

Luckily, humans were not denied temptation of the pomegranate, and even the legendary King Soloman owned an orchard of the precious fruit. Ancient Egyptians had a taste for the pomegranate, which they consumed fresh or pressed out to obtain a refreshing beverage. And according to Biblical account, after the flight from Egypt, the Israelites yearned for the cooling pomegranate juice during their wandering.
India was introduced to a number of culinary innovations by Arabs and Persians, and owes the presence of pomegranate and sesame seeds in certain dishes to these influences. The Chinese valued it as one of the three blessed fruits of Buddha. Chinese women offer it to their goddess of mercy when praying for children. In Turkey a bride would throw a pomegranate on the floor to ascertain the number of children from the number of seeds scattered. The Greeks regarded the pomegranate as the symbol of love and fertility, as the fruit was believed to have sprung from the blood of Dionysus - a spring fertility god. To the Romans it was the "apple of Carthage." In Persia, the pomegranate was a popular amulet against evils.

In one of the earliest Homeric Hymns there is an interesting reference to Pomegranate. Pluto, the king of the dead souls had abducted Persephone and took her as a bride to his underworld kingdom. Persephone's mother, Demeter was the goddess of harvest and in grief she rendered the earth barren. She would not allow the earth to bear fruit until she had seen her only daughter. Finally Zeus urged his underworld brother to return Persephone. Pluto had to relent but he made his wife eat a pomegranate seed, knowing that if she did, she must return to him. Demeter was happy to see her daughter but grieved to learn about the pomegranate seed, fearing that she could not keep her daughter with her. There on, Persephone spent four months with her mother and returned to the world of the dead for the remaining part of the year. Ancient Greeks associated pomegranate with the dead as its color resembled blood and they believed that the dead needed blood for their strength. For this reason, ancient Greek tombs bear the symbol of this forbidden fruit.

The Byzantine emperor Justinian (483-565), who shared his throne with the beautiful Theodore, a notorious second generation Cypriot harlot, was fond of pomegranate juice. And alongside Chilled Chaos wine, snow chilled pomegranate juice flowed at the imperial banquets prepared by Theodore's chef under her supervision. The chef, who hailed from India, had a penchant for creating exciting menus for which he found inspiration in the cuisines of Persia, Greece and India. And Theodore entertained lavishly and with brilliant results, for she was a proud advocate of high gastronomy.

The delights of the pomegranate have been extolled by writers and poets, past and present. Even Oscar Wilde (1856-1900), the wit and playwright, compares, "As a pomegranate cut in twain; white-seeded is her crimson mouth." On a similarly lyrical note, cooks and epicures have assigned a special place to the pomegranate. For though the fruit is not popularly regarded as a versatile cooking ingredient, it offers a wide range of tempting possibilities. In fact, the pomegranate is full of wonders. It may be used as flavoring, sauce, marinade, in cakes or pudding, or simply as a garnish. And the crimson seeds or their juice will swiftly transform a humble dish into an exotic specialty. Used lavishly in Lebanese cuisine, its juice concentrate imparts a tangy flavor to meatballs, stuffed fish, and chicken.

For more information about Pomegranates visit Shaheen Perveen’s article “Pomegranate History and Folklore,” in Food & Beverage International.