Découvrez la Mélasse de Grenade, le Secret Culinaire Envoûtant du Moyen-Orient!

Essentielle dans les cuisines du Levant, depuis la Turquie jusqu’à l’Iran, en passant par le Liban et l’Azerbaïdjan, la mélasse de grenade tire parti des différentes variétés de ce fruit, qu’elles soient sucrées ou acidulées.

De manière traditionnelle, le jus obtenu à partir de grenades acidulées est lentement réduit sur feu doux jusqu’à devenir un sirop épais. Il est nécessaire d’utiliser environ 20 kg de fruits pour produire un litre de mélasse pure avec cette méthode exigeante en temps et en efforts ; les versions moins chères peuvent inclure des quantités élevées de sucre ou des agents épaississants.

Disponible dans les boutiques biologiques et les épiceries spécialisées orientales, ce condiment se consomme en petites quantités, se conserve pendant des années et son prix varie de 8 à plus de 100 euros le litre selon la qualité.

Chosen by the ethical company Belazu and a favorite of Yotam Ottolenghi, this molasses is made from a blend of cultivated and wild Turkish pomegranates known for their fresh and intense flavor. APPROXIMATELY €9.30 FOR 250 ML.

Made in Lebanon, the Mymouné pomegranate molasses, awarded multiple times at the Great Taste Awards, contains no added sugar or other additives. It is a staple in gourmet food shops. APPROXIMATELY €9.50 FOR 250 ML.

Produced by a women’s cooperative in a village in the Akkar region of northern Lebanon, this exceptional organic molasses is made from hand-picked pomegranates harvested from August to December and cooked in a traditional pot. €15.50 FOR 160 G.

Thick like syrup, sweet and tangy at the same time, pomegranate molasses is used to make all kinds of sauces and marinades in the cuisines of the Near and Middle East. It is excellent in desserts and pairs particularly well with cream and pistachios.

Pomegranate molasses can easily replace vinegar: like it, it is tannic and tangy, with a sweetness reminiscent of balsamic. It is essential in the sauce for fattoush, a Lebanese salad of crispy bread. Feel free to use it in grated carrots, endive salad, and any composition of your choice with a little lemon juice and as much olive oil. Salads of oriental cereals are an excellent source of inspiration in cooking. The Turkish kısır is notably based on bulgur, chopped parsley, and tomato paste seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, and pomegranate molasses. Feel free to mix it with your leftover cooked cereals or legumes with fresh herbs, good oil, and diced feta or a few nuts and seeds.

Both tangy, sweet, and fruity, pomegranate molasses is perfect for marinating and tenderizing meat. It works wonders on chicken, lamb, as well as duck, beef, or pork with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper – add a bit of yogurt, zaatar, garlic, and tomato paste for more distinctly Lebanese notes.

To add a bit of acidity and freshness to stews and other rich dishes, add a tablespoon of molasses at the end of cooking. It can also be used as a final touch on fish and all preparations based on meat and sautéed onions: in Lebanon, it is used to deglaze makaneks, small beef and lamb sausages. Try it for example on blood sausage! The thick and sticky texture of pomegranate molasses lends itself to all glazes, it also goes well with root vegetables like carrots, celery root, or parsnips.

It’s not just about sweet and savory, and pomegranate molasses also shines in the realm of sweets. It is beautiful on a simple yogurt, cottage cheese, vanilla ice cream, cheesecake, or panna cotta as a less sugary substitute for red fruit coulis. If you are definitely more of a salty tooth, it pairs just as well with cheese, in the manner of Basque cherry jam.

In the heat of the Iranian summer, pomegranate molasses is willingly used as a syrup to be diluted with lots of ice water: the resulting drink is delicious and very refreshing. You can also make sorbets, granitas, and other water ices that will please both children and the most demanding gourmets.

Thick, sweet, and tangy, molasses is a delicious concentrate of pomegranate juice:

1. Peel the pomegranates and reserve the seeds in a bowl.
2. Blend 3/4 of them to make juice.
3. Strain the juice and bring it to a boil with sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan, reduce the heat and let the syrup cook for 40 to 45 minutes until it reaches a syrupy texture.

Rich in polyphenols, flavonoids, and tannins with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, pomegranate molasses is used in the making of traditional remedies and cosmetics from Eastern Mediterranean to the Middle East. Its high vitamin C content also makes it an interesting product for the immune system and skin beauty. Its B vitamins are, meanwhile, beneficial for digestion.