Black Figs

I knew figs only as the sweet puree with crunchy little seeds inside a delicious cookie. For years I thought figs only existed in Fig Newtons. I loved those cookies, they were so innocent and sweet, I thought figs must also be.

Until I saw a dried fig... i couldn't have been more wrong. They are shriveled and black scary little things. Needless to say I didn't eat a dried fig for many many more years, surviving only on Fig Newtons. Then as an adult, as I delved more and more into appreciating the treats nature provides, I began eating dried figs. They were delicious! Packaged in perfect rows, jammed up against each other under plastic, I loved that they lasted forever in the cupboard. I didn't need to eat a cookie to get that figgy deliciousness anymore. Yet I still had not tasted a fresh fig.

I'm sure I saw them in the 'exotic' fruit section of my urban grocer, but how did I know what to look for? Are they ripe, or over-ripe? Do I peel the fresh fig? Is there a big seed in it I don't know about? I just never jumped in. Then at a party one day, I saw them. Fresh figs sliced in half displayed on a cheese dish. I can't eat cheese, so as everyone around me was dashing for the brie and aged cheddar, I reached out for the fig. It has been called an aphrodisiac and for good reason. It was one of the best foods I have ever eaten. It is faintly sweet with a smooth texture and a fresh feel. I think I ate almost every fig on the plate. And I threw caution to the wind, I just bit into it, ate the skin and everything. It all tasted good, and the skin was surprisingly thin and blended in with the fruit perfectly.

I am not a fig connoisseur by any means, and I haven't even researched the ins and outs of fig selection, but I bought some today. I gave each fig a gentle squeeze with just my thumb and forefinger. Some felt squishy and i tried to imagine how that would feel in my mouth and I didn't like the thought. So I stayed away from the wrinkled ones and misshaped ones, and selected only 3 that felt a little soft, like a fresh mango, but that still had their shape and luster.

I brought them home and dove in, eating them while leaning against the kitchen counter. Groceries still on the floor, cats meowing for dinner. I stood there and relished the amazing goodness of something so simple. No added salt or sweetener. It wasn't packaged with an expiration date. Just a fig, in my hand, cut in half. Figs are beautiful, try them fresh, or dried, but I URGE you to try a fresh fig!