Melagrana, Granata

The pomegranate tree, with its pretty red blossom and fruit, is now largely grown for its ornamental beauty, although in the Middle Ages it was used to make sauces and for stuffing game. The fruit used to be regarded as sacred because it was a symbol of fecundity. Although it is still grown all over Italy, it makes a minor commercial contribution in Sicily where it is cultivated to serve the syrup industry. Especially in Renaissance times, melagrana was used in Tuscan cuisine as a flavouring in game and poultry dishes. Today it is mostly used as a table fruit, but is sometimes pressed for juice to produce sorbet and as an addition to fruit salad.