- Description The fig is often referred to as a fruit, though it’s actually a group of tiny flowers growing inside an edible shell.The edible fig is technically a syconium (a mass of inverted flowers) of the common fig tree . Each flower contains a seed and they’re covered by an edible pear-shaped pod, which is often thought of as the fig “fruit.” The color depends on the variety, including white, green, red, and purplish-black. Traditionally, figs were used as the sweetener for desserts prior to sugar. They can be eaten whole, baked, fried, grilled, or roasted. Dried figs are common because the fruit is so delicate and does not store well. Due to their short season and fragile nature, fresh figs are expensive but canned, dried, and frozen figs are considerably more affordable. Health Benefits Figs have many potential benefits, including promoting digestive and heart health, along with potentially helping manage blood sugar levels. Figs have long been used as a home remedy or an alternative treatment for digestive problems like constipation. Figs may improve blood pressure and blood fat levels, which can help improve your vascular health and decrease your risk of heart disease.
