描述
The pomegranate, scientific name Punica granatum, is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub or small tree growing between 5–8 metres tall. Native to an area from the eastern Mediterranean Basin to India, the pomegranate has been cultivated over millennia, including today throughout the Mediterranean, Middle East and Caucasus regions, northern Africa and tropical Africa, the Indian subcontinent and the drier parts of southeast Asia. Introduced into Latin America and California by Spanish settlers in 1769, pomegranate is also cultivated in parts of California and Arizona. In the Northern Hemisphere, the fruit is typically in season from September to February. In the Southern Hemisphere, the pomegranate is in season from March to May. The pomegranate has been mentioned in many ancient texts, notably in Babylonian texts, the Book of Exodus, the Homeric Hymns and the Quran. In recent years, it has become more common in the commercial markets of North America and the Western Hemisphere. Pomegranates are used in cooking, baking, juices, smoothies and alcoholic beverages, such as martinis and wine.