In which an intern eats a fresh fig

I can’t say that I’ve eaten many figs in my lifetime. The most experience I’d had with figs was with Fig Newton cookies (the first commercial product made with figs, first sold in 1892) — until I tried fresh figs recently with The Lakeville Journal’s executive editor, Cynthia Hochswender. They were a gift from Janet Manko, the Lakeville Journal Company’s publisher and editor in chief.

When I started researching figs, I realized that I’ve never really eaten figs at all. When trying to figure out why figs aren’t in my life, I asked my mom if she likes them. I had just assumed she loved figs because we eat a lot of dried dates at my house, and I grouped dates and figs in the same category in my head. Why then, had I no memories of eating figs?

 I sent her a text, asking her, “Do you like figs?” I got a pretty blunt response: “I’m allergic to figs.” I guess I never knew. So my initial thought that I had eaten figs when I was younger had just been falsified. 

Maybe my only experiences with figs really were the Fig Newtons that I had tried off of my friends’ lunches in elementary and middle school. 

Figs are eaten either fresh or dried. Fresh figs are available June through September, with some European varieties extending to late autumn. Dried figs are available all year. 

Eating a dried fig is a much different experience from eating a fresh one. A fresh fig has a beautiful purple color, smooth outside, and a soft and crunchy inside. The seeds add an extra bite to the fruit, which is light and chewy. 

Dried figs are harder and denser. The lose about 60 percent of their water content when they’re dried, which means the sugar content is intensified.

Figs are really sweet. In fact, they are the sweetest of all fruits with a 55 percent natural sugar content. They are also sources of potassium, vitamin B6 (that helps the body “metabolize fats and proteins” according to Katherine Lee of Everyday Health) and, of course, dietary fiber. They also contain a proteolytic enzyme called ficin, which helps aid digestion.

Something I found fascinating is that 100 percent of American dried figs — which is 10 percent of the dried figs produced in the world — are produced in California . 

What I find to be perhaps the coolest: Figs are inverted flowers — that’s why the inside of a fig is so intricate looking. 

BuzzFeed, a website that is known for having entertaining list articles, has an article called “27 Delicious Ways to Eat Fresh Figs.” As someone who has little fig experience, I found a few recipes that I would love to try. My personal favorite was the dark chocolate-covered fresh figs. 

As with all fresh fruit, if you buy some and they aren’t as sweet or ripe as you’d like them to be, you can intensify their flavor by roasting or grilling them. If they’re soft and perfect, of course you can just eat them plain, or you can add them to a salad or eat them with fresh, sweet goat cheese. Try topping them with a little chopped fresh mint.