Fig

About

Fresh figs are sweet with a light berry flavor and a strong perfume when fully ripe, but they are delicate and travel poorly, making quality dependent on proximity to the source. Dried figs develop a more intense sweet-sour flavor similar to dried apricots, ranging from sugary and fermented to nutty or, in thicker-skinned brown varieties, slightly medicinal. Both fresh and dried figs pair well with sweet spices and rich, salty ingredients like blue cheese and prosciutto.

Pairs well with fig

• CiOrangeThe pomologist Edward Bunyard found dried figs almost too sugary, though their complexity keeps that sweetness from feeling flat.
• WoAlmondThe honeyed nectar at a ripe fig's eye signals that its natural sweetness pairs well with almonds, producing a light, nougat-like…
• SpCinnamonDried figs simmered with Pedro Ximénez sherry, water, and ground cinnamon until thick and syrupy make a simple dessert sauce, typically…
• RoChocolateSome dried figs are said to taste like chocolate, though the resemblance is limited mainly to shared sharp, red-berry notes found in ripe…
• BeMintChef Giorgio Locatelli serves figs with mint sorbet and chopped fresh mint.
• GrAniseAnise seeds' licorice punch works well against the dense sweetness of dried figs.
• FfVanillaFig and vanilla's warm, floral pairing shows up in jams, ice creams and crumbly ma'mool cookies -- made the same way as a…
• ChHard CheeseThe consortium overseeing Parmigiano-Reggiano recommends dried fig, hazelnuts, walnuts and prunes as accompaniments for Parmesan aged…
• ChGoat CheeseA simple preparation splits ripe figs, fills each with a teaspoon of goat cheese, presses them closed, and bakes them at 350°F for 10-15…
• ChBlue CheeseDried figs pair naturally with blue cheese: brown figs echo sweet sherry, while black mission figs suggest port, making them an especially…
• ChSoft CheeseIn Syria, fresh figs are eaten for breakfast with bright white soft cheese, or cooked down with sugar into a rough jam.
• WoHazelnutFrangipane, the soft nut-paste filling used in French tarts, is usually made with almonds, but hazelnuts work just as well, especially…
• BrProsciuttoElizabeth David, in Italian Food, praises whoever first thought to serve prosciutto with melon or, better still, fresh figs -- the fig's…
• FfRaspberryFig and raspberry pair naturally -- "berry jam" is a common tasting note for good figs, notably the Violette de Bordeaux variety,…
• MeLiverThe ancient Roman precursor to foie gras, iecur ficatum, was named for the figs used to fatten the birds -- the root of "liver" in…