4 Essential Types of Figs

Come late summer, you’ll find figs at farmers markets and grocery stores. Their season is short, so you have to move quickly to take advantage of figs when they are perfectly ripe to make the most of their caramelly flavor. That sweetness is key when using figs in your kitchen. Play it up by using figs in desserts like a chocolate fig cake or fig and honey tart, or a fig clafoutis. Or, pair figs with contrasting flavors like salt, acid, and spice for contrast.

We love figs in savory recipes like salads and stews, or pickled so they can be added to cheese boards or appetizer platters. Salty cured meats like prosciutto go well with sweet figs. Halve fresh figs, and wrap them with prosciutto slices. Halve or quarter figs, and scatter them on top of pizzas, puff pastry, or toasts before baking. You can also grill figs; place skewered fig halves cut sides down on the grill, and cook until slightly soft to the touch. Or, arrange halved figs cut sides up on a baking sheet, top them with goat cheese, and bake them until they are warmed through. Even the simplest recipes show off this seasonal favorite.

Type of figs

There are hundreds of fig varieties around the world; the characteristics of their skins, pulp, and overall flavor vary depending on region and terroir. Here are four varieties to know.

Mission figs

One of the most common fig varieties, Mission figs are native to the Balearic Islands, an archipelago off the coast of Spain. They have deep purple and black skins and a flavor that hints at strawberry and melon.

Tiger figs

Aptly named for their distinctive green stripes, these figs are harvested much later in the season to maximize their sugar content. Also known as Panache figs, they’re ideal for making fig jams or preserves.

Brown Turkey figs

Brown Turkey figs are especially delicious in desserts, thanks to their sweet, baking spice–like flavor. Despite the name, this purple-and-yellow-skinned variety was originally bred in France.

Sierra figs

These green-fleshed figs are a relatively new variety developed in California. They have a light pink interior and a flavor reminiscent of apricots and Riesling.