Result of The Win a Dinner for 4 is

the membrane surrounding the arils (seeds) of the pomegranate

The winner of the second

Win a Dinner for 4

IS

 

Louis Sequeira
from BELGIUM

Clue number 1 .................. An underwater task ?
Ans: The best way to get the arils (fleshy seeds) of a pomegranate.
Break open the pomegranate underwater in a bowl of water, the arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane will float to the top.

Clue Number 2.................. What has this to do with a Greek fertility symbol and why can it make you pucker!
Ans:The multiple seeds of the pomegranate symbolises the prolific, and therefore is a symbol of fertility and is also the symbol of the deities of marriage, of Ira and Aphrodite. (There are many other variations of the pomegranate in Greek mythology see bottom of this message for more details.) . Eating the membrane of a Pomenagrate can make your mouth pucker.

Clue Number 3.................. Something that the above picture contains warmed with the fat of a large hunted animal can give you bushy eyebrows!
Ans: Bear fat warmed with pomegranate arils de-seeded and mixed up with olive oil in equal portions is used to smear eyebrows for its better growth and thickness in some regions of Russia.

Clue Number 4..................... A military explosive's name derives from the item this comes from
Ans: The grenade. So called from the resemblance of its shape to a pomegranate, the French word for which is grenade.

Clue number 5...................... Drop a tablespoon of ******* molasses into the juices in the bottom of the pan when you take a roast chicken out of the oven. It will give it a deep, rich colour and add a subtle flavour to the dish.
Ans: "a tablespoon of pomegranate molasses". which is thickened pomegranate juice and is used mainly in Middle Eastern cooking.

Clue Number 6..................... This food item is older than the Bible itself, it is in use daily, yet Larousse Gastronomique 'The World's Greatest Cookery Encyclopedia' does not have one recipe for it!
Ans: Quoted in the bible:Num. 20:5,Num. 13:23, Deut. 8:8, Song 4:13, 1 Samuel 14:2, Song 8:2, Joel 1:12, Haggai 2:19, Exodus 39:24-26, 1 Kings 7:18, 1 Kings 7:20 etc.
Regarding the reference to Larousse Gastronomique, the above statement in the clue is not absolutely true. There is a recipe for "Limonade au suc du grenade" or Lemonade with pomenagrate juice. ( Note: the Larousse Gastronimique has more additions in later editions)

More on Greek mythology and the pomegranate:

In Greek Mythology there are many references to the Pomegranate tree. The oldest myth is probably the one that connects the Pomegranate with Orion. Orion, was one of the largest and brightest constellation, he was a huge Giant, son of Earth and famous for his beauty. He was a worthy hunter and killed the beasts with a copper club. According to the Myth, Orion married Sidi, but he was unlucky. Sidi bragged that she was more beautiful than Ira, and for her punishment the goddess sent her to the Underworld were she was transformed into a Pomegranate tree. Sidi, i.e. the Pomegranate, is connected with the memory of the dead in their relationship with the underworld.

According to other myths, the Pomegranate grew from the blood of Dionysos Zagrea as well as from that of Attis-Adonis. Also on the tomb of Polynikis, son of Oedipus, a Pomegranate grew according to the will of the Erinies, whose fruits dripped blood when you opened them.

The most familiar myth to all is that of the "abduction of Persephone". Persephone, daughter of Demetra the ancient goddess of fertility (De-Te-Metra) (Metra is womb), an innocent teenage girl, was collecting with her friends flowers from the fields. Pluto, the god of the underworld, saw her, fell in love with her and took her with him. However, with the abduction of Persephone, De-Te-Metra stopped bearing fruits and the people didn’t have anything to eat. So the Gods had to intervene so that Persephone returned. To tie her though to Hades, Pluto makes her eat from the Pomegranate. Since then, Persephone spends some months in the underworld, the season when Nature is quiet, and then returns bringing with her the richness of Pluto, fertility and panspermy. In all people, the hiding of the gods and heroes below the earth is connected to the worshiping customs of growth and fertility.

A continuation of the ancient fertility rituals are the "polysporia" that are cooked and eaten on the Presentation of the Virgin Mary on 21st November. Also, when the Greeks commemorate their dead, they make the "kollyva", that consist of boiled wheat, mixed with sugar and raisins and decorated with pomegranate seeds. The presence of the Pomegranate is very important. It can be seen at weddings but also as a thanksgiving, an offer to the dead (i.e. the subterranean gods).

"The multiple seeds of the pomegranate symbolize the prolific, and as it is a symbol of the deities of marriage, of Ira and Aphrodite, it is a symbol of the subterranean gods, like Hermes, Persephone and Dionysos".

Excelent effort Louis Your voucher is on it's way .

 

 

The runner up is

 

Again! Adam White

1) Underwater task probably refers to the method of breaking open the pomegranate underwater to free the arils.

This "underwater" method of getting the arils out works great - In a pot of water, break apart poms that have been scored 6 or so times. Arils sink, pith floats, any juice just goes in the water, not on your white clothes.

2) Greek Fertility Symbol & Pucker refers to Demeter - When Persephone was abducted by Hades, lord of the underworld, Demeter wandered the earth in search of her lost child. During this time the earth brought forth no grain. Finally Zeus sent Hermes to the underworld, ordering Hades to restore Persephone to her mother. However, before she left, Hades gave her a pomegranate (a common fertility symbol). When she ate from it, she was bound to spend a third of the year with her husband in the infernal regions.  With its abundance of seeds, the fruit has long been a symbol of fertility, bounty and eternal life, particularly to those of the Jewish faith. Many paintings of the Madonna Virgin and Child prominently display a pomegranate. Ancient Egyptians were buried with pomegranates in hope of rebirth. The Hittite god of agriculture is said to have blessed followers with grapes, wheat and pomegranates. The seeds were sugared and served to guests at Chinese weddings. When it was time to consumate the marriage, pomegranates were thrown on the floor of the bedchamber to encourage a happy and fruitful union. Berber women used pomegranates to predict the amount of their offspring by drawing a circle on the ground and dropping a ripe pomegranate in the center. The amount of seeds expelled outside the ring allegedly prophesied the number of her future children. Mohammed believed pomegranates purged the spirits of envy and hatred from the body and urged all his followers to eat goodly amounts. When Persephone was held captive in Hades, the Greek goddess of spring and fruit swore she would not partake of food until her release. However, she could not resist the tempting pomegranate, consuming nearly the entire fruit before halting herself and leaving only six seeds uneaten. It is from this story that believers think our yearly cycle of six months of growth and harvest followed by six months of winter is derived. Pucker refers to how it can yield a sour taste if not mixed with proper ingredients, the pomegranate can give sour as well as a sweet balance to a dish.

4) military explosive refers to - It was the Moors who brought the seedy fruit to Spain round 800 A.D. Granada was named for the pomegranate, which became their national emblem. The first pomegranate planted in Britain was by none other than King Henry VIII. The French named their hand-tossed explosive a grenade after the seed-scattering properties of the pomegranate fruit. And in 1791, the special troops formed by the French military to wield these grenades were called grenadiers.

5) Pomegranate molasses - which is availble in many middle eastern shops. Also called pomegranate syrup, A Middle Eastern bottled condiment made from yellow sour pomegranates cooked with sugar, gives a fruity tangy flavor to savory dishes.

6) older than the bible - The pomegranate, a Persian native, is one of the oldest fruits known to man. Originally thought to be native to China, pomegranates were actually brought to China about 100 B.C. by Han dynasty representative, Jang Qian, who also introduced coriander, walnuts, peas, cucumbers, alfalfa, grapes and caraway seeds to the Far East. The Romans called it the Punic apple.

Clue number 3 is driving me nuts. Either your referring to boston baked beans...where they use molasses and bear fat...and bushy eyebrows is a joke..coz a bear has bushy eyebrows.

or you could be referring to Kibbe the lebanese national dish...which uses pomegranate molasses...and bulgur...which is high in biotins...that helps hair growth. but thats too much of a stretch.

 

Great effort everybody and thank you for entering.