More or less the size of a baseball, the best part of pomegranate is inside its thick, crimson skin. When you cut a pomegranate in half, you’ll see hundreds of glittering scarlet seeds surrounded in an aril of sweet, red pulp. Pomegranates are considered many-seeded berries, whose seeds are tightly clustered inside the many chambers of the pomegranate’s pithy, thick rind. The inner rind is creamy yellow in color with a dense, spongy pith that gives pomegranate its sturdy structure. The plump seeds are edible while the inedible peel is discarded.

Pomegranate’s flavor can range from sweet to tart depending on variety. The juice is complex in flavor, as many deeply colored berries are. The flavor of pomegranate is often described as sweet like grapes, tart like ripe cherry and earthy like acai.

Seeds of pomegranate are a wonderful treat raw, and as an ingredient in sweet and savory recipes. Tart pomegranate seeds add crunch and a sweet acidity to dishes like fruit salad, guacamole, oatmeal, yogurt, yogurt parfait, salsas, meat marinades and desserts.

Drinking pomegranate is just as easy and delicious. Pomegranate holds its own as a one-fruit juice, and can be added to other juice recipes for added sweetness, color, flavor and nutrition. Cocktails provide an excellent canvas for pomegranate’s bitter and sweet, earthy juice.

The rich flavor of pomegranate juice is matched only by its nutritional makeup. Pomegranate has long been prized for its antioxidant properties known for boosting immunity and contributing to overall wellness.