Sundays, we usually post something related to religion. Often the photo is one of a church building, but not always. We didn't start out with this photo of common figs from our yard as a "Sacred Sunday" post; however, the more we read about figs, the more we realized that many religions make references to figs (see here).
Fig trees were one of the first plants cultivated by humans with their fossils dating to 9,000 B.C. The book of Genesis (Adam and Eve are wearing fig leaves) has one of several references to figs in the Bible-- Old & New Testament. Did you know, the fig is the third tree mentioned in the Bible, after the Tree of Life and Tree of Knowledge? Buddha achieved enlightenment underneath a fig tree. The Qur'an also references the fig as one of the fruits that descended from paradise. Figs were an important fruit to the Ancient Greeks and Romans.
Figs are a great summer harvest with an extended season for producing fruit. They are high in calcium, fiber, minerals, & antioxidants. The Middle East and Mediterranean Region are known for fig production, with Turkey and Egypt being the top producers. However, we've had great luck growing figs in Greensboro. Above you see a small part of yesterday's bounty from our two fig trees and yes, they do taste heavenly!
Love figs! You got them nicely arranged there. Since we don't have much luck with our home garden I have to buy them at Costco!
Posted by: Katja Brown | Sunday, August 28, 2011 at 06:01 AM