Verjuice vs Pomegranate molasses
The short answer
Two fruit sours of the same kitchens, both called ekşi in Turkish. Verjuice is the juice of unripe grapes, pale, sour with tartaric acid, and kept as a thin juice, a concentrate or a powder. Pomegranate molasses is the juice of sour pomegranates boiled dark, and brings sweetness and a caramelised note with its citric acid.
Side by side
| Verjuice | Pomegranate molasses | |
|---|---|---|
| Botanical identity | Vitis vinifera L. | Punica granatum L. |
| Part used | fruit | fruit |
| Origin | Not established | Not established |
| Flavour notes | sour, fruity | sour, sweet, caramelised, fruity |
| Heat | Scoville does not apply | Scoville does not apply |
| Flavour | Sour. A triangle test with 36 trained assessors in Lebanon found no difference in taste between the juices of four grape varieties. No source read describes the flavour beyond its sourness, and the concentrate and the powder of Gaziantep were not tasted by any panel that was found. | Sweet, and sour from the acid of the fruit, with a caramelised note from the boiling; thick enough to pour slowly. This is the wording of the Hatay registration, written by the body that holds the name. No tasting panel was found. |
| Aroma | Not established | Not established |
Which should you buy?
Verjuice
Sold as a liquid or, in Gaziantep, as a powder; the question of whole against ground does not arise.
Pomegranate molasses
Sold only as a bottled liquid, so the question does not arise.
Full detail on verjuice and pomegranate molasses, including evidence grades and sources for every claim above.