For the next few weeks it will be fresh fig season here in Oregon. I never tasted a fresh fig until I moved to the west coast, I am not alone is this deprivation. California, which is pretty much the domestic producer for the States, only harvests an estimated 10% to 20% of its fig crop to be sold fresh. Delicate and soft, they are not really suited for long transit. The USDA doesn’t even track per capita consumption of fresh figs, their website offers data for dried figs, which worked out to about 3 oz per resident in 2006, down by half in the last 25 years. The USDA website informs us in 2006, each American was served over 7 pounds of the more prevalent raisin – although between cereal and cookies getting picked over, I am not sure about how many of those raisins actually go down the gullet.Figs are part of the mulberry family. Cultivated for over 6000 years, they were known to the empires of Egypt, Greece and Rome. Despite this long history, the fruit of the fig tree is described as pryiform or pear shaped. Perhaps the non-Mediterranean pear, domesticated at a later date, should be described as fig like in appearance.
The plant itself is a bit of an oddity; Harold McGee states the fruit of the fig is more flower than fruit, the body is like a flower folded in on itself: If you look close, what appears to be the fig seeds are actually the tiny and multiple florets of a flower. Equally as strange, some species (471 according to a study cited by Russ Parsons) will self-pollinate: These varieties include the Mission, Turkish and Kadota figs. Others like the delicious Calimyrna need a special co-evolved tiny wasp to aid the fruit’s fertilization process. The process of luring the wasps to pollinate a given fig tree is done by tying fig boughs in a fertile tree or by growing a hermaphrodite fig tree in proximity. This practice is called caprification, which sounds like a verb meaning ‘to taper pants at the knee’.
Culturally, figs figure prominently in cusses and curses. A sycophant is literally one ‘who shows the fig’ in order to win favor. People claim ‘not to give a fig’ - this might seem like a sanitized stand-in for a different ‘F’ word but the phrase is quite old and the sentiment is more along the lines of Rhett Butler’s apathy at the end of Gone with the Wind. By thrusting their thumb between their index and middle fingers, Italians give people the fig - this is akin to giving the finger, which really isn’t a gift at all in the housewarming sense, although like many housewarming gifts - lots of people instinctively regift the finger right back. According to Mark or his gospel anyway; Jesus, hungry, came upon a fig tree with no fruit upon its branches. Despite it not being fig season, he cursed the tree so that it would never bear fruit for others – I know, a better miracle would have been to make the tree bloom fruit in winter. Instead, we have be the largely forgotten parable of the low blood sugar.◊
The best way to select a ripe fig is to look for the plump ones. They should smell alluring, slightly exotic, evoking memories of something sweet on the lips and tongue. Watch out for a fermented smell and spots of mold. Some peel their figs, though there is no need to do this, if the skins are thick, cut in half and you can scrape the fruit with your teeth – the more demure might want to use a spoon, but use either a grapefruit spoon or one that has taken a few spins in the garbage disposal in order to separate the skin from the pulp.
Pureed figs in balsamic vinaigrette are way good. For those who don’t have the time to puree, figs cut in 1/2 or 1/4s and tossed in a salad produces the same net result. In either case use bitter greens to contrast the sweetness of the fig. A fig (or two) spread on toasted bread makes for a fine crostini, but the same combo with soft goat cheese exists on a higher plane. Figs wrapped in a slice of prosciutto shame the similar melon appetizer with their greatness. Speaking of pork, figs first halved then laboriously worked with roasted garlic into a pork tenderloin, which is then grilled on top of rosemary branches is good; Sliced, broiled figs accompanying roasted quail is better. Fig ice cream or gelato = way good, Fresh warm figs with a Port or Madeira zabaglione is a great desert.
Go, enjoy your fresh figs while the season lasts.
◊ Also biblically, Judas hung himself from a fig tree and Adam and Eve covered themselves in fig leaves.
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