Most entertaining article about the humble fig. Some of the main points:
* The most common impression of the ficus carica or common fig for the traveler in Turkey is the slightly suggestive sight of a dried fig sliced and stuffed to bursting (with walnuts) and the sign Turkish Viagra floating enticingly above it.
* This week, though, figs made the news for something more than their alleged libido-enhancing properties. Archeologists excavating ruins in the ancient city of Assos found 2,400-year-old figs that were still edible in a tomb. They believe the figs were put there to be part of the last meal of the departing spirit.
* Turkish fig producers face another enemy as dangerous as global warming, the fruit themselves can spoil and turn toxic. Notoriously difficult to dry, figs often develop mold when produced in warm humid conditions. These mold contains aflatoxins which have been known to cause cancer in animals and aflatoxin B1, the most toxic, can cause cancer in humans.
* The fig tree has a bad reputation with farmers as a destroyer of men, the adage among rural folk is that he who falls from a fig tree never escapes unscathed and rarely recovers. A report from Trabzon's 2002 fig picking season listed 223 injured people in 20 days. Most suffered from broken arms, legs and ribs but there were also two fatalities.
* The fig tree does however have a good reputation in Islam where a hadith (oral traditions relating to the words and deeds of the Prophet Mohammad) from Bukhari says that the prophet mentioned figs and said, "If I had to mention a fruit that descended from paradise I would say this is it because the paradisiacal fruits do not have pits ... eat from these fruits for they prevent hemorrhoids and help gout."
* Traditionalists believe that if you see fresh ripe figs in your dreams they always indicate unexpected levels of good fortune but if the fig is dried then the good luck they bring will be marred by jealousy and gossip.
Get thee out there and start planting.
That controversial "non-fig" pic
Bretwalda - surely that piccy is NOT of a fig tree? A fig tree has leaves like a Beryl Cook hand. Something like this:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/01/LPotted%20Fig%20Tree.jpg
Arghh! How do I insert a complete weblink into a comment Bretwalda?
ReplyDeleteYou could be right about the tree but follow the link and see what you think [click the pic].
ReplyDeleteAs for how to insert a link in a comment, you know I only worked it out myself yesterday. Go to your template and find somewhere you have a sidebar link.
Look for the complete "a href" line - I can't put it here because it will turn into a" link itself. It's a little messy but will give you your clickable link. Play with it and you'll get it right,Mopsa.
Colin, am I missing something? Is there a fig in the picture?
ReplyDeleteColin? This fig leaf seems not to be figgy but it's on a figgy site. Hmmm.
ReplyDeleteBretwalda - thank you. And if this link doesn't work I'll go and practice elsewhere!
ReplyDeletefig tree
You did it well.
ReplyDelete