Dried Pomegranate Peel — Cracked Rind for Tea, Infusions & Cooking

The cracked, air-dried rind of the pomegranate (Punica granatum), prepared in Turkey, where the same leathery pieces are sold in spice markets as nar kabuğu. The chips are irregular, deep red-brown on the outside and paler on the inner face, and they keep their tart, tannic character for months as long as they stay dry.

For the kettle: use about one teaspoon of peel per cup, or a small handful per pot. Simmer gently for 6–10 minutes rather than just steeping; the liquid moves from pale rose toward ruby the longer it stays on the heat, and the taste is brisk, dry and sharply tart with a citrus edge. The peel contains no caffeine. Round it off with honey if you find it austere, chill the strained liquid over ice in warm months, or blend it with green tea or hibiscus.

For the pot: cooks across the Middle East and South Asia reach for pomegranate in its sour forms — molasses, anardana seeds — and the dried rind plays the same role in a drier register. Crush a piece or two into a marinade for lamb or chicken, a lentil stew or a pot of rice, and it leaves a quiet sour, faintly bitter base note. Go sparingly: the rind is high in tannins, and a little is enough.

Four pack sizes — 100 g to try it, then 250 g, 500 g and 1 kg for regular brewing. Single ingredient: pomegranate peel, nothing added. Store airtight, away from light, heat and moisture.