Take it slow.

In a hurry? Don't take a pomegranate.

You need time for the ancient fruit, which is in season from September through January.

Split open the purplish-red rind and you'll find a mass of seeds embedded in a spongy white membrane. Only by bursting the tiny bubble of liquid around each seed with your teeth de you get a squirt of sweet-tart juice. Whether you spit out or swallow the seeds, it takes time to eat.

On the other hand, when you just want something to nosh on, a 100-calorie (potassium-rich) pomegranate that takes half an hour to munch through is a good thing. (If you don't have time, check your supermarket's produce section for small plastic tubs of fresh pomegranate seeds.)

Of course, you can also sprinkle the seeds over your salad or mix them with couscous and dried fruit (apricots, raisins, currants) and nuts. Or team them up with chopped oranges, red onion, garlic, and lime juice to spice up your seafood.

It's too early to know if pomegranate can reduce the risk of heart disease or cancer (see "Super Fruit, Nov. 2006, p. 11). If it does, you might be better off with a glass of 100% pomegranate juice than the seeds in one fruit.

But if you just want something exquisite to keep your taste buds grinning, give a pomegranate ago.

www.pomegranates.org