Dried Fruit
Fig
Description
Fig or shawl fig (scientific name: Ficus carica) is an Asian species of flowering plants of the fig family. This tree is native to the Middle East and Western Asia. The types that are used in horticulture to consume its fruit are Ficus carica, Ficus palmata and Ficus podocarica. Ficus carica is the common fig that is used as a fruit; But ficus palmata and ficus podocarica are mostly planted to inoculate edible figs.
Figs can be used to make jam, ice cream, or fresh. Its fruit is used as dry, fresh, compote, jam, flour and marmalade. Since it is very difficult to store and transport fresh fig fruit, it is mostly used in processed form. Fig vinegar also has a sweet and pleasant taste that is used for all kinds of pickles and salads. At present, Estehban city of Fars province is the largest producer of dry figs in the world, whose product is of special quality.
The main homeland of the fig tree in the old world is Europe-Asia in the Mediterranean areas and in Iran the fig tree is very old, especially the car or mountain type, which is known as the mountain fig. One of the habitats of Anjir Khodro or Kohi figs is in Qahestan, South Khorasan and Zibad region. The traces of this tree were seen at the end of the second era (Cretaceous) and it was cultivated around the Mediterranean Sea in the fourth era.
In Egypt, it has been customary to plant fig trees since 2800 BC. The ancient Jews also knew the fig tree, and a type of fig, which is Ficus sikorus, is mentioned in the Torah. The ancient Greeks knew the modified type of this tree under the name Attic fig, and the Romans mixed this tree with their religious beliefs and considered it a sign of prosperity and progress. In the Quran, this fruit is sworn by and a chapter is named after this fruit.
It is more common to take advantage of the many properties of figs through the consumption of dried figs and then fresh fruit. Meanwhile, figs can be consumed in various products. The first fig product is fig juice drink. Other products worth mentioning include fig syrup (different from fig juice), fig muscat, fig jam and marmalade, pickles, compote, soup and fig puree. In addition to the mentioned cases, figs can be used in the preparation of various sweets such as chocolate, biscuits, cakes and cookies. It is also common to use dried figs mixed with other dried fruits. The common fig tree has been cultivated since ancient times and grows wild in dry and sunny areas with deep and fresh soil and in rocky places with a height of up to 1700 meters above sea level. The common fig prefers relatively porous, free-draining soil and can grow in low-nutrient soil. Unlike other fig species, the common fig does not always require pollination by a bee or another tree, but it can be pollinated by a fig bee to produce seeds. There are no fig bees for pollination in cold countries like England. This species has adapted to nature in scattered areas in Asia and North America and has become native.
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