There are few fruits more evocative than the fig; heavy-bottomed, velvet-skinned, bursting at the seams with life. It’s also one of the oldest fruit tree cultivars, and rates mentions in the Torah, the New Testament, the Qur’an and the Bhagavad Gita. Depictions of figs appear in ancient Egyptian tomb paintings and reliefs, Indus Valley stone seals and other ancient artwork across the Mediterranean, Middle East and South Asia.
Indeed, while other fruits require quality control through a close whiff or a keen eye, figs need to be fondled for a full assessment. Weigh them in your palm to choose the heaviest specimens, then turn them bottoms-up to inspect their ostioles (the orifice through which pollinators penetrate the fruit) for juiciness – a little leakage is preferable, with an aroma that’s sappy or sweet rather than sour.
