Fig fruit

Fig, fig, fig – some medieval theologians considered it not an apple, but it was it that was considered the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The question of the growth and role of the fig tree in the Garden of Eden has always been controversial, but the fig, no doubt, has a very ancient and venerable history. Its fruits saturated with the sun were eaten by the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt. Roman patricians feasted on ripe figs with intricate fig seasonings at their many hours of unbridled sumptuous feasts. In France, from ancient times, geese were fattened with figs, so that their liver acquired an intoxicating taste and turned into a classic delicacy – foie gras. In Latin, liver – ficatum – and figs – ficus – have a single root. The variety of fig species is impressive – in the Crimea and the Caucasus in early autumn, large purple-green and smaller golden fruits are scattered along the branches of fig trees. Although the shapes and shades of figs are varied, its juicy berries can always be eaten whole: grab a heavy, sun-drenched fruit by the stalk, put it in your mouth and slowly enjoy the rich honey taste.

What is all the salt

Figs can add sophistication and charm not only to desserts, but also to more dense dishes: it will set off the fresh saltiness of raw smoked ham, give a special flavor to smoked duck fillet. With it, cheeses, from the softest to the hardest, will sparkle with new facets of taste. Do you need an original side dish for duck fillet, roasted poultry or pork? Try steaming figs in honey and sprinkling them with freshly ground pepper. Figs are a real all-rounder: they will be a wonderful addition to cherry jam, and they will also be a worthy companion for a whole cohort of cheeses – hard sheep and soft goat, Italian mozzarella, pecorino or gorgonzola …

The fig leaf is not only the clothing of Greek statues. If you wrap chicken or fish in it, you get a kind of fragrant likeness of dolma. In France, the secret of preserving fresh figs is passed down from generation to generation – they are wrapped in their own leaves, adding fennel seeds, cloves and bay leaves. Autumn will pass, winter will come – and dried sweet and spicy fruits will be on the festive table among traditional Christmas desserts.

In sugary mouth

Of course, figs are sweet on their own, but you can’t spoil them with sugar either! And here’s the proof: take fresh figs – green with reddish flesh, black with white-pink inside or ivory flesh, pour a couple of spoons of jam or syrup from blackcurrant or raspberry over the fruits, cool them down properly, and before serving, garnish with plenty of whipped cream. Want to add a tantalizing spicy aroma to the freshness of the fruit? Boil syrup with spices and spices – fresh bay leaves, cloves, vanilla pod, cinnamon, orange and lemon zest – and lightly sweat black figs in it. Always keep intact the delicate skin of its fruit, which protects the soft snow-white top layer of pulp. To make marmalade or jam, cut black figs into quarters, but do not peel them. Then, when cooking, the syrup will turn into a rich purple color, echoing the fashionable shades of the season.

But for sherbet or ice cream, the pulp of figs, fresh or stewed, is good – you just need to add sugar and spices to taste. The last fruits of summer are already a little withered from the sun, they have gathered all the taste inside, candied-sweet. And if we are lucky enough to pick such a fig from a tree, of course, we don’t need to cook anything from it – just savor it …