Pomegranate - another superfood that you should include in your diet

Oatmeal with apple, pomegranate, blueberry, yogurt and cashew

I have modified my last fruity oatmeal recipe by adding one more magic ingredient: Pomegranate seeds. And I used red instead of green apple this time, for the sweetness (and colour lol). Pomegranate is a very healthy fruit. If you want to know more, read until the end of the post. Otherwise just remember pomegranate is good for you.

With blueberry and pomegranate seeds in a bowl, it has to be the most anti-oxidizing breakfast EVER.

How to deal with a pomegranate

If you search the internet a lot of "tips" will tell you to cut a pomegranate in half to start with. NEVER! And don't even think of digging a spoon into the fruit, unless you have someone else to clean the kitchen (and your clothes) for you. Pomegranate seeds are very juicy, and the juice is intensely red. I can guarantee, any attempt to cut through a pomegranate will result in something like a murder scene.

For me I will score the skin of the fruit horizontally 8 times, peel the skin as carefully as I can, and take the exposed seeds out one by one. I have very steady hands and I find it quite fun to do so, although it took me around 10 mins to deseed the whole fruit. It's not at all difficult, but just be patient and gentle.

There are websites teaching you how to open a pomegranate in 10 sec, and it often involves "gently pry open" the fruit. Hmmm...to be honest I don't think this is technically possible. Prying open a pomegranate has to be violent. Some suggests you can submerge the fruit in water to make it easier. I haven't tried it before but I guess it makes sense. I will try next time and let you know if it works. :)

A perfect job done. Yes, I know : P

Why pomegranate is good for you

Pomegranate is tremendously anti-oxidizing, beating even blueberry and green tea. Punicalagin is a substance that can only be found in pomegranate. Research suggests it can help lower blood pressure, protect blood vessels, prevent heart diseases, fight cancers, and it is extremely good for our skin. There are skincare products that claimed to contain pomegranate extract. But I guess the effectiveness do not even come close to consuming the fruit directly.

Beyond the fruit

Interestingly, pomegranate was featured in a lot of famous paintings in history, not only because it is beautiful, but also its unique symbolic meanings.

Source: Wikipedia

• If it's a baby boy holding the fruit, he's very likely to be Jesus Christ. Pomegranate represents life, death, and resurrection in Christian symbolism. (shown above is Botticelli's "Madonna of the Pomegranate")

• If pomegranate is associated with a woman in mythological paintings, it represents fertility and marriage. This is borrowed from the story of the Greek Goddess Persephone, the Queen of the underworld. [ Read here ]

• Other fruits commonly seen in paintings with a symbolic meaning include grapes (the sacred blood of Jesus) and Apple (sin)

Next time when you walk into a museum and see a painting of a table of fruits, chances are this is a religious painting with a great deal of hidden messages for viewers to decode. (Below is Caravaggio's painting "Still life with fruits")

Source: Wikipedia

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As a side note, I will be travelling to Paris in the last week of September. I know a lot of friends may be travelling around the same time too. If you happen to be going to Paris or Amsterdam please do let me know. May be we can meet up and enjoy a nice French dinner together ;-)