Delicious New Way To Enjoy California Fresh Figs
Contributed by: NAPSA
(NAPSA) - Here's intriguing news about a delicious and nutritious way to get your recommended 5-a-day servings of fruits and vegetables: California fresh figs. They're almost as rich in history as
they are in flavor and nutrients.
Figs were first brought to California by the Spanish missionaries who first planted them at
the San Diego Mission in 1759. Fig trees were then planted at each succeeding mission, going
North through California. The Mission fig, California's leading black fig, takes its name from this
history. The popular Calimyrna fig, golden brown in color, is the Smyrna variety that was brought
to California's San Joaquin Valley from Turkey in 1882, and was renamed Calimyrna in honor of
its new homeland.
Now, the most popular varieties grown commercially in California are:
- Calimyrna Fig-Noted for its scrumptious nut-like flavor and tender, golden skin, the
Calimyrna fig is a favorite for eating out of hand.
- Mission Fig-Famous for its distinctive flavor, the fresh fruit exhibits a deep purple shade,
making this fig an esthetic, as well as an edible, delight in all recipes.
- Kadota Fig-The American version of the original Italian
- Dattato, is thick-skinned and possesses a beautiful creamy amber color when ripe.
Practically seedless, this fig is a favorite for canning and preserving.
- Brown Turkey Fig-Brown to black skin, rose flesh, this variety is not recommended for
drying, and is delicious eaten as a fresh snack or in a wide array of fig dishes.
All of these tasty types are also good for you. Figs can satisfy a sweet tooth but are
fat-free, sodium-free and, like other plant foods, cholesterol-free. Figs are high in fiber, providing
20 percent of the Daily Value-more dietary fiber per serving than any other common dried or
fresh fruit.
Figs also have the highest overall mineral content of all common fruits. A 153g (21/2 large
figs or 4 medium figs) serving provides 380 mg of potassium (11 percent of the DV), 75 mg of
calcium (7 percent of the DV) and 1 mg of iron (4 percent of the DV).
