The 13th century Persian poet and Sufi mystic Rumi begins his poem, The Laughter of Pomegranates, with the words: “If you buy a pomegranate, buy one whose ripeness has caused it to be cleft open with a seed-revealing smile.”
Halfway through the poem he also writes: “A laughing pomegranate brings the whole garden to life.”
In his poem, Rumi explores spirituality, joy and a common theme throughout his work – the transformative power of love. Here, this week’s Arabic word of the week, ruman, which means pomegranate, is used as an image to convey the philosophical facets of this transformation.
The official definition of ruman in Arabic is in fact not the fruit itself. It refers to a type of shrublike tree whose trunk is characteristically smooth, its branches rigid with leaves that are glossy, dark green, oval in shape, and that grow crossing at right angles. The tree blooms red flowers that bear a large cylindrical fruit, which is also referred to as ruman.
The skin of the fruit is tough, containing small fruit seeds inside that are either red or pink. These seeds are edible and also contain a refreshing liquid that is used to make pomegranate juice and pomegranate molasses, a staple ingredient in many dishes across the region.
There is another plant called ruman al anhar, which translates to “ruman of the river”. This tree has flowers that range in colour, from yellow to red, and bear a smaller fruit. While edible, the fruit's seeds are often used medicinally for joint pain and sciatica.
The origin of the word ruman is unclear. Its roots are most likely Semitic and derived from similar words in languages such as Hebrew, Aramaic, Ge'ez and Egyptian.
Another linguistic theory is that its an Arab-ised version of the Farsi word anar, which means pomegranate. Ruman trees are considered to have originated from what is now modern-day Iran and then spread across the region, which would explain how the word was changed in Arabic.
Rumana, which is derived from ruman, is a word that is used for other things. The handle, or specifically the part where the sheath of a sword is held on to, is known as the rumana, as is the space where animal food is stored on a farm.
Rumani refers to anything that’s related to a ruman, whether in colour, shape or taste. For example, if the colour of a dress is similar to the red of a pomegranate, one would say: “The colour of this dress is rumani.”
Ruman is one of only five fruits mentioned in the Quran. Tamir (dates), teen (figs), zaytoon (olives), anab (grapes) and mooz (banana) are the four other fruits.
Ruman is mentioned in two different passages in the sixth chapter of the Quran, entitled Surah Al-An'am. Here, ruman is used to highlight the diversity of fruits created by God. Ruman is mentioned a third time in the 55th chapter of the Quran, entitled Surah Al-Rahman, where ruman is referenced as one of the fruits found in paradise.
Historically, ruman holds significant importance in Arabic cuisine. Pomegranate molasses, a tangy syrup, is used in salads such as Fattoush and in fried foods like kibbeh or in the dish dolma. It’s also used as a garnish in dips such as babba ghanoush as well as in many stews and dishes.
