Fig

Fig - a small tree to 9m (30ft) with a short trunk, branching fairly close to the ground. The smooth bark of fig is pale grey and the dark green leaves have three to five oval lobes. The familiar pear-shaped fruits ripen from green to dark purple, bursting open to reveal the red inner flesh, later darkening to brown.

In ancient Greece where figs were a staple food, athletes ate the ripe fruit for added stamina. The Romans considered the fig a symbol of plenty, and the fig leaf is a familiar device for preserving the subject's modesty in classical painting and sculpture. Medicinally, the fruit has a mild laxative action and is a popular folk remedy for constipation.

The fig was used by man in ancient civilizations. Native to western Asia and the Mediterranean areas, it spread to Arabia, Syria, and Israel. The ancient Semites were known to have carried this fruit from Phoenicia to their Mediterranean colonies as early as the second century B.C.

The Romans were known to have transported figs into all the temperate zones of Europe. In many southern European countries today this fruit is thrown at newlyweds in much the same manner that rice is thrown in America.

In the middle of the eighteenth century the Spanish mission fathers introduced this fruit to California, where the fig is still one of the main fruit crops. Now it is also grown in the southeastern states and along the Gulf of Mexico. Fig prospers and produces huge crops in these regions.

Both white and black figs are highly perishable when fresh. To be of good quality they must be fully ripe. The ripe fig is rather soft. An overripe fig can be detected by a sour odor, which is due to fermentation of the juice. The color ranges from greenish-yellow to purplish or almost black, according to the variety of the fruit. Bruised fruit should be avoided, as decay sets in very quickly.

Medical properties

Figs have a high sugar content, so they are great producers of energy. They are best eaten raw and fresh; however, dried figs may also give nourishment to the body, especially in the winter. Figs are laxative because of the mucin and pectin they contain. They are a high calcium food, high in carbohydrates, and turn into energy very quickly.

It is always best to use unsulfured figs. The black figs are high in potassium. One remedy for arthritis is black Mission figs and raw goat milk. This combination acts as a purge to the intestinal tract, and helps develop a toxin-free body.

In fresh form, figs will mix with all fruits. Dried figs will mix well with starches, vegetables, and sub-acid fruits, but not with acid fruits such as tomatoes, grapefruit, and oranges.

Figs can be stuffed with cheese or nut butters and used for weight building. When used in combination with soy milk they are wonderful between meals as a weight builder. Fig juice can be used with other juices to balance their non-laxative qualities. The fig sugars are very quickly taken up by the intestinal tract and used by the body.

Habitat

Fig - indigenous to western Asia and now found wild in most Mediterranean countries, and widely distributed in Europe, and the UK in sheltered areas.