This week, to start off my journey of finding a new type of fruit to eat and evaluate, I made my way to Kensington Market. I chose it because it is the market most familiar to me as I pass by it everyday to and fro from College, and it has quite a number of fruit shops that offers a decent variety of fruits. The fruit that I chose was the humble Fig
The reason I chose this fruit, was because I have never had the opportunity to taste a fresh Fig before. In the country that I come from, we only have dried figs available. It is a fruit that I have always wanted to try, simply because it is so well-known for it's sweetness. And I have a little bit of a sweet tooth.
The Fig that I bought were known as Adriatic Figs also known as White Figs. Figs originally came from Southern Arabia, but was more widely cultivated in Western Asia. It was introduced into the New World by Spanish and Portugese missionaries in 1520 and 1528 and most recently widely cultivated in California. It's seasonality is throughout mid-May to mid-December. Fig trees prefer hot and dry summers. Figs were widely used as coffee sweeteners in the past but have recently become snacks as well as desserts. The Fig is considered a fruit, but it is actually an inverted flower, the seeds on the inside being the real fruit. The market price for figs when it is in season, is 4.75$/lb,
but this is the off season for Figs, I bought 1 Fig at 3$, not knowing beforehand how much it would normally cost.
but this is the off season for Figs, I bought 1 Fig at 3$, not knowing beforehand how much it would normally cost.
The Fig that I bought were known as Adriatic Figs also known as White Figs. Figs originally came from Southern Arabia, but was more widely cultivated in Western Asia. It was introduced into the New World by Spanish and Portugese missionaries in 1520 and 1528 and most recently widely cultivated in California. It's seasonality is throughout mid-May to mid-December. Fig trees prefer hot and dry summers. Figs were widely used as coffee sweeteners in the past but have recently become snacks as well as desserts. The Fig is considered a fruit, but it is actually an inverted flower, the seeds on the inside being the real fruit. The market price for figs when it is in season, is 4.75$/lb,
but this is the off season for Figs, I bought 1 Fig at 3$, not knowing beforehand how much it would normally cost. The skin of the Fig felt leathery and there was a strong smell of freshly cut grass. It had an attractive pink color on the inside, and there was a little crunch from the seeds as I bite through it, with a little bit of chewy and slimy feel from the flesh of the figs. As it was not in season when I bought it and maybe even a little bit unripe, the overall taste was not sweet, but it reminded me of the Mexican Guava (Guayaba) that I had when I first came to Canada. The fruit was tender and easily bruised.
but this is the off season for Figs, I bought 1 Fig at 3$, not knowing beforehand how much it would normally cost. The skin of the Fig felt leathery and there was a strong smell of freshly cut grass. It had an attractive pink color on the inside, and there was a little crunch from the seeds as I bite through it, with a little bit of chewy and slimy feel from the flesh of the figs. As it was not in season when I bought it and maybe even a little bit unripe, the overall taste was not sweet, but it reminded me of the Mexican Guava (Guayaba) that I had when I first came to Canada. The fruit was tender and easily bruised.
As I have heard, certain types of figs contain a high amount of sugar, so as to make use of that, I would definitely grill or roast the figs to produce a nice caramelization, paired with something savory or acidic, like cheese or creme fraiche. With some added pectin, it can be used to make Jams or jellies as well, and it would probably do well slow poached with a little bit of red wine, ginger and some cloves, paired with Mascarpone cheese, would make a decent dessert. The picture above is the picture of the fig that I bought, pan-fried with some butter and raw honey enhance the taste and caramelization of the fig.