Glyko Koutaliou Rodi

The Greek pomegranate spoon sweet: ruby arils and juice simmered with sugar and a breath of lemon into a glistening conserve

Origin: Greece (the tradition of the glyko koutaliou)

From the journey of Pomegranate.

The glyko koutaliou, the 'spoon sweet', is the oldest and most hospitable institution of the Greek kitchen: a fruit or flower preserved whole or in pieces in a heavy sugar syrup, kept in a jar through the year and offered, a single spoonful on a small dish with a glass of cold water, to every guest who crosses the threshold. Almost any fruit becomes a spoon sweet in Greek hands, the firm bergamot and the bitter orange, the green walnut and the fig, the cherry and the grape, and, in autumn, the pomegranate, the rodi. Here the jewelled seeds and their juice are simmered gently with sugar and a little lemon until the syrup thickens to a glistening ruby conserve and the arils within it turn translucent. The pomegranate carries, in Greece, the full weight of its ancient meaning: it is the fruit of Persephone and of the underworld, the seeds that bind the seasons, and at the turn of the New Year a whole pomegranate is still dashed against the threshold for luck, its scattered seeds counted as the year's fortune. To preserve those seeds as a spoon sweet is to keep that brilliant autumn red, and that promise of plenty, on the shelf through the winter. A spoonful, offered to the visitor, is a small rite of welcome as old as the myth.

Ingredients

  • 500 g fresh pomegranate seeds (from about 3 large pomegranates)
  • 150 ml fresh pomegranate juice (from 1 further pomegranate, or reserved while seeding)
  • 450 g granulated sugar
  • 100 ml water
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 strip of lemon peel

Method

  1. Put the sugar, water, pomegranate juice, and lemon peel in a wide, heavy pan. Heat gently, stirring, until the sugar has fully dissolved, then bring to a simmer.
  2. Add the pomegranate seeds and simmer gently, never at a hard boil, for about 20–25 minutes, skimming any foam, until the syrup has thickened and turned deep ruby and the seeds look glossy and translucent.
  3. Stir in the lemon juice and simmer for a final 2–3 minutes. The acid keeps the syrup from crystallising and brightens the flavour.
  4. Remove the lemon peel. Ladle the hot spoon sweet into a sterilised jar, making sure the seeds are submerged in the syrup. Seal and cool.
  5. Serve a spoonful at a time on a small dish, with a glass of cold water and, in the Greek way, a cup of coffee, or spoon it over thick Greek yoghurt or vanilla ice cream.

Notes

Glyko koutaliou rodi keeps for several months in a sealed sterilised jar in a cool, dark place, and once opened should be kept refrigerated. The texture is best when the seeds keep a little crunch from their inner pip, so resist over-cooking. It is wonderful spooned over yoghurt or rice pudding, stirred into sparkling water as a cordial, or offered simply on a spoon as the traditional welcome to a guest. Use sweet dessert pomegranates for an eating sweet, or sharper sour-sweet fruit for a more bracing conserve.

The Gastrographer

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Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control
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