Fig is a delicious fruit, and in this article, we will go through different aspects of fig, such as how is it cooked? Its health benefits? The taste of fig? Etc.
We will also address some queries related to figs so that you can put all the confusion to bed.
Table of Contents
What Is A Fig?
Fig, belongs to the Ficus Carica tree family and is an edible fruit.
The fruit is native to Western Asia and the Mediterranean region.
Fig has been cultivated since ancient times and is now grown in many parts of the world.
Ficus Carica belongs to the Ficus genus, which contains more than 800 subtropical and tropical plant species.
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What Does Fig Taste Like?
Fresh fig has a soft, honeyed, sweet taste and a squishy texture, studded with small seeds that give the fruit crunchiness.
Dried fig has a chewy texture and a sweet flavor, and the seeds are undetectable.
How Is Fig Made?
To prepare a fig for consumption, you will need to peel it first.
Take a sharp knife, and twist or cut the stem off the fruit.
Then, make an X sign with the knife on top of the fig.
Spread out the four sections of the fig, and place the knife between the fruit’s skin and pulp on each section.
Cut about ¾ inch down into the fruit.
With a sharp kitchen knife or your hands, peel the fig’s skin until you reach the bottom of the fruit.
Remove the fig skin and discard it.
Cut off the remaining skin on the bottom side of the fig and leave only the pulp on the fruit.
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How Do You Cook Fig?
Here is how you can cook figs:
Oven Roasted Figs
Ingredients
- Fresh Figs: 5
- Brown Sugar: 15 ml (1 tsp.) (Optional)
- Cinnamon: 2.5 ml (1/2 tsp) (Optional)
- Honey: Optional
- Grated or Whole Nutmeg: 9.9 ml (2 tsps.) (Optional)
Instructions
To roast the figs, ensure you get ripe and fresh figs.
Ripe figs give slightly to pressure and have a firm texture.
They are not as hard as apples but not too mushy or soft.
When you cut a ripe fig, it should comfortably hold its round shape.
Figs come in several colors, such as black, deep purple, light green, yellow, red, and brown.
Next, you will need to put the oven at 350 Degrees Fahrenheit.
You can bake fresh figs, which will enable them to have a sweet taste.
If you want the figs to be thoroughly baked, you should turn the oven on while preparing the figs for consumption.
Before you bake the figs, you must eliminate the stem and rinse the fruits thoroughly under cold water.
You can also place the figs in a container and rinse them under water.
Then, take out the figs from the container, take a cloth and dry them off.
Lengthwise cut the figs, line a dish with foil and place the figs.
To slice a fig, turn it on one side and cut it down from the middle with a sharp knife.
Repeat this process with all the figs and put the fruits close to each other on the baking dish.
You don’t want gaps between the figs when you add the seasonings.
Pick a sweet topping, and sprinkle it on the figs.
You can put any toppings on a fig that will taste good when the fruit is roasted.
You can sprinkle cinnamon or brown sugar on the figs.
Mix ½ tsp. of ground cinnamon with 15 ml of brown sugar.
Then, you can add a few rosemary springs on top of the fig.
Secondly, take grated nutmeg and honey and pour them on top of the figs.
Ensure you pour enough honey to coat all the figs on the baking dish lightly.
Then take grate one whole nutmeg on the figs.
You can also sprinkle 2 tsps. of ground nutmeg if you don’t have the whole nutmeg.
Put the baking dish inside the oven and let the figs roast for about 40 minutes.
After half an hour, the figs will release a juice.
Give the fruits an additional 10 minutes; they will end up dry, and all the juice will be gone.
The wrinkled and dry texture of the figs, mixed with your preferred seasoning, will make a delicious dessert dish.
After half an hour, remove the baking dish from inside the oven.
Once the figs are out, put them in a cool place.
Let the figs sit on the baking dish and cool them down for 15 minutes.
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What Do You Eat Fig With?
Here is how you can eat figs:
With Nuts
You can combine nuts and figs, as they complement the nutty flavor of figs.
While all nuts do well with figs, walnuts are the best because of their earthy flavor.
You can also make a fig salad by combining the fruit with walnuts.
However, don’t limit yourself; you can also opt for hazelnuts and almonds instead of walnuts.
Both hazelnuts and almonds are a great choice and go well with all types of figs.
Caramelized, roasted or raw hazelnuts, and almonds can give your sides or salad a flavorful edge.
With Cheese
Figs go well with strong cheese and Goat cheese.
You can slice the figs up and serve with cheese on a platter or melt the cheese on top of the figs and then devour them.
You can also make a cheese sauce and use it as a dip for fig slices.
Put Figs On a Toast, Bread or Pizza
The internet has decided that pineapples are great pizza toppings, but trust us, figs baked on pizza dough or bread are worth a try.
You can combine figs and cheese on bread, pizza dough, or toast.
Don’t be shy to add some meat as well to the mix.
Eat Figs As A Dessert
In countries like Turkey, people preserve the figs in a sugary syrup.
These figs are typically served with breakfast dishes and have extremely high sugar content.
You can add figs to cakes, puddings, rolls, and other dessert dishes.
You use fig as a sweetener as well and use it as a substitute for sugar.
Is Fig Good For You?
Here are some health benefits of eating figs:
Can Lower The Blood Pressure
High blood pressure can lead to stroke and heart disease.
Usually, high blood pressure is caused by an imbalance of potassium levels.
Figs have a high potassium content and can fix the potassium imbalance in the body.
The high fiber content of figs can help remove excess sodium from the body.
Can Improve Digestion
Digestive issues ranging from Diarrhea to constipation, and increasing your fiber intake can help with digestion.
However, figs can also aid in digestion because, in addition to being high in fiber, figs are also an excellent source of probiotics, which promotes good gut health.
Related Questions About Fig?
How To Store Figs?
The lifespan of figs is short, and once they are harvested, you can only keep them for a few days before they go bad.
You can put the raw figs in a plastic bag and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Is It Safe To Eat Figs Daily?
While you can enjoy figs in various ways, due to their high sugar content, it is not recommended to eat them daily.
However, you can still eat dried figs with low sugar content but only in moderation.
Conclusion
This article will help you understand what a fig is and what fresh figs taste like.
We have also discussed how you can cook figs, their health benefits, and how to eat them.
We hope this article gives you some much-needed clarity.
Sources:
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