Round, red, ripe and ready, this year’s crop of pomegranates was a hit at King Hussein Park on Thursday.
Dozens of farmers from the north of Irbid down to the Southern Jordan Valley converged on the capital yesterday for the Kingdom’s third annual pomegranate festival in a continuation of centuries of pomegranate harvests in the region.
At the opening of the three-day exhibition, citizens flocked to various stands for a taste of the fruit; its various varieties sold for between JD1-JD2 a kilo.
The Kingdom is home to some 25 varieties of pomegranate, ranging from sweet to sour on the palate and red to black in appearance.
According to pomegranate farmer and physician Jadallah Abu Ghazaleh, in addition to its sweet and sour tastes, the fruit holds a host of health properties.
“Pomegranates have been shown to work against high blood pressure, cholesterol and some types of cancer. It’s great for the circulation,” said Abu Ghazaleh, who brought crates of “shwashy” and “melese” pomegranates from his five-dunnum farm in Kufr Saman near Irbid.
The fruit’s gastronomic value was more on Abu Mohammad’s mind; he left the festival carrying four kilos of different pomegranate varieties from various sellers across the country.
“It’s my favourite fruit. It is great to get it fresh from the farms; you can really taste the difference,” the 44-year-old said, noting that his family will use the fruit in various recipes and salads.
The highlight, according to Mariam Khatib, a farmer from northern Irbid, is homemade pomegranate molasses.
The thick syrup can be diluted with water to make juice or used as a marinade for roasted lamb meat and kebab, she noted.
“You can use it as an ointment, as a rub, as an ingredient or as a juice. You can’t get much more versatile than that,” Khatib told The Jordan Times.
High in antioxidants, the fruit is believed to have several heart benefits.
Originating in Iran, the fruit, which spread throughout the Mediterranean in ancient times, is believed to have arrived in the Kingdom during the Roman period.
The drought-resistant crop thrives in arid warm climates and is currently cultivated in the Jordan Rift Valley and the plains of the eastern desert. The pomegranate harvest season is from late September through mid-October, according to farmers.
The jordan Times