http://www.thestar.com
Drinks are flying off Toronto shelves
HICHAM SAFIEDDINE
STAFF REPORTER
If pomegranate fruit was last winter's most talked-about produce, its juice is turning out to be an even hotter item this season.
Pom Wonderful pomegranate juice is so popular at Toronto's Whole Foods Market (Avenue Rd., north of Bloor St.), manager Peter Hilge can't keep up with demand.
"Since we brought this drink from the U.S. six weeks ago, I am always running out of stock. We have now doubled our orders three times ... and it is not a cheap drink, but that does not seem to be an issue," Hilge says as he inspects the 473-ml bottles, which go for $5.99 each.
Chowhounds are seeking the scarlet-coloured refresher elsewhere in the city.
A Sobeys representative told the Star that customers are asking for it by name if it is not on the shelf, and a Dominion spokesperson said it is gaining popularity at their locations.
Billboards hailing the drink as a health marvel have also recently sprung up in the city.
The ad slogans — "Floss your Arteries. Daily" and "Healthcare in a bottle" — tap into the potential health benefits derived from the pomegranate's high level of antioxidants, which some studies suggest may reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.
In fact, the healing power of the ancient fruit is an age-old popular cultural belief in the Middle East.
Since pomegranate has a short season (October to January), the juice offers a year-long alternative for lovers of the sweet fruit, which is packed with edible seeds. Plus, it's a whole lot less messy.
"We crush the fresh pomegranate in October and condense it and then reconstitute the drink throughout the year," Pom Wonderful's Fiona Posell explains.
"A lot of the goodness of the taste comes from the husk and the inner membrane of the fruit."
The all-pomegranate juice is one of five refrigerated juices launched by the California-based marketing group Pom Wonderful in November of 2002 and introduced to major Canadian stores last fall. (The other flavours mix pomegranate with tangerine, cherry, blueberry and mango.)
The fruit and its juice can make for colour-rich salads, entrees, desserts and martinis.
Pomegranate syrup, paste and juice are also common ingredients in Iranian cuisine.
Some Middle Eastern stores in Toronto that carry pomegranate juice include Pars Food, 6089 Yonge St.; Nasr Foods, 1996 Lawrence Ave. E.; and Ladan Pastry and Nuts, 2016 Lawrence Ave. E.
Drinks are flying off Toronto shelves
HICHAM SAFIEDDINE
STAFF REPORTER
If pomegranate fruit was last winter's most talked-about produce, its juice is turning out to be an even hotter item this season.
Pom Wonderful pomegranate juice is so popular at Toronto's Whole Foods Market (Avenue Rd., north of Bloor St.), manager Peter Hilge can't keep up with demand.
"Since we brought this drink from the U.S. six weeks ago, I am always running out of stock. We have now doubled our orders three times ... and it is not a cheap drink, but that does not seem to be an issue," Hilge says as he inspects the 473-ml bottles, which go for $5.99 each.
Chowhounds are seeking the scarlet-coloured refresher elsewhere in the city.
A Sobeys representative told the Star that customers are asking for it by name if it is not on the shelf, and a Dominion spokesperson said it is gaining popularity at their locations.
Billboards hailing the drink as a health marvel have also recently sprung up in the city.
The ad slogans — "Floss your Arteries. Daily" and "Healthcare in a bottle" — tap into the potential health benefits derived from the pomegranate's high level of antioxidants, which some studies suggest may reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.
In fact, the healing power of the ancient fruit is an age-old popular cultural belief in the Middle East.
Since pomegranate has a short season (October to January), the juice offers a year-long alternative for lovers of the sweet fruit, which is packed with edible seeds. Plus, it's a whole lot less messy.
"We crush the fresh pomegranate in October and condense it and then reconstitute the drink throughout the year," Pom Wonderful's Fiona Posell explains.
"A lot of the goodness of the taste comes from the husk and the inner membrane of the fruit."
The all-pomegranate juice is one of five refrigerated juices launched by the California-based marketing group Pom Wonderful in November of 2002 and introduced to major Canadian stores last fall. (The other flavours mix pomegranate with tangerine, cherry, blueberry and mango.)
The fruit and its juice can make for colour-rich salads, entrees, desserts and martinis.
Pomegranate syrup, paste and juice are also common ingredients in Iranian cuisine.
Some Middle Eastern stores in Toronto that carry pomegranate juice include Pars Food, 6089 Yonge St.; Nasr Foods, 1996 Lawrence Ave. E.; and Ladan Pastry and Nuts, 2016 Lawrence Ave. E.
jagger - am Montag, 17. Januar 2005, 16:50 - Rubrik: News Pomegranate
