Show Me a Picture of a Fig – A Complete Guide to Figs in Photos

Figs have been cultivated and enjoyed around the world for thousands of years Their sweet flavor and unique texture make them a delicious treat. While fresh figs are a summer delicacy, dried and processed figs allow people to enjoy this fruit year round

Fig trees produce fruits with a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. The common fig tree (Ficus carica) yields the well-known purple-brown figs with the red pulp. But there are over 700 varieties of figs! Explore our photos below to see the diversity of figs.

Fresh Fig Varieties

Fresh figs come in many colors like purple, black, green, yellow, and even white. Some have plump, rounded shapes while others are more oblong or pear-shaped. The size also varies from small fruits with seeds to large seedless specimens.

• Brown Turkey – A widely grown fig variety It has a bronze skin and amber flesh These figs are large and plump.

• Black Mission – A popular black fig cultivated in California. Black Missions have a thick mahogany skin and a deep red, sweet interior.

• Kadota – One of the most common green figs. Kadotas have a yellow-green thin skin and pale pink flesh. The texture is smooth and honey-like.

• Sierra – A large, yellow fig from California. It has a golden skin and yellow-pink interior. Their mild sweet flavor is excellent for fresh eating.

• Desert King – A green fig with a light green skin and vibrant pink pulp. Desert King figs are known for being extra sweet.

• LSU Improved Celeste – A small fig with light brown skin and a bright pink interior. It has a very sweet, rich taste.

• Marseilles White – As the name suggests, this is a white fig. The thin skin is yellow-green with a pale interior.

Dried and Processed Figs

Figs can be dried whole or made into products like fig paste. Their high sugar content allows them to be preserved without fermenting.

• Calimyrna – The main variety sold as dried figs. They have thick golden skin and a nutty, sweet pulp. Originally from Turkey.

• Smyrna – Another major dried fig variety. Smyrnas have a purple-brown skin and deep red flesh. Originally from Turkey.

• Mission – The Black Mission figs mentioned earlier are also dried into wrinkly black figs with a jam-like interior.

• Adriatic – A green fig commonly processed into fig paste. Their skin remains bright green. Native to the Mediterranean.

• Conadria – Another green fig turned into fig paste. It has a unique wild fig flavor.

• Kadota – The green Kadota figs are often dried or used in fig bars. They keep their yellow-green skin.

Fig Trees and Leaves

Fig trees can grow over 50 feet tall in warm climates. The iconic leaves are deeply lobed with 3-5 lobes. Younger trees have smoother bark while mature fig bark becomes rough and craggy.

Figs often start as a strangler fig – germinating in the branches of another tree. Their roots surround the host tree and eventually engulf it. The fig becomes a solitary tree once the host dies.

Other types of fig trees like the Moreton Bay Fig and Banyan Fig produce aerial roots. These roots grow down from the branches and help support the wide, spreading canopy.

Fig Uses Beyond Fruit

While prized for their fruit, fig trees also provide valuable wood and latex. The latex contains chemicals called ficins that tenderize meat. Figs can be rubbed on tough game meat to make it more tender before cooking.

Fig wood has traditionally been used to make musical instruments like guitars and drums. It is valued for its acoustic properties. The wood is also turned into furniture, boxes, and veneer.

Fig tree bark has been used medicinally as a treatment for gastrointestinal issues. The leaves and shoots are also collected as cattle fodder.

Where Figs Grow

Figs thrive in hot, sunny, dry conditions. They need at least 100 frost-free days to fruit. Fig trees tolerate poor, rocky soils as long as they have adequate drainage.

Some top fig producers include:

• Turkey – Dried fig capital of the world. Produces over a quarter of the global supply.

• Egypt – Major exporter of dried figs. Also produces fresh figs.

• Algeria – Leader in dried fig exports. Also processes figs into jam, paste, and juice.

• Morocco – Exports both dried and fresh figs.

• California – Supplies nearly all domestic fresh figs in the US. Also dries figs.

• Greece and Portugal – Top European producers of fresh figs for local consumption.

History and Lore

Figs have a long history of cultivation stretching back over 11,000 years. Remains of figs have been found in Neolithic village sites in the Middle East. Figs are mentioned in ancient Mesopotamian writings like the Epic of Gilgamesh.

Ancient Greeks and Romans revered figs and offered them to their gods. Figs were depicted in ancient Greek art and literature as symbols of fertility and prosperity. Greek athletes ate figs as an energy food.

In some traditional cultures, sitting under a big fig tree is linked with growing wisdom. Buddha is said to have achieved enlightenment while meditating under a fig tree.

Figs remain an important crop today due to their rich flavor and health benefits. Their high fiber, vitamin, and mineral content makes them a nutritious choice.

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