The Best Type Of Fig To Use In Salads

Just because salad season peaks during the summer months when so many wonderful vegetables and fruits are in season, doesn't mean we have to abandon this healthy meal when the warmer weather departs and it's time to break out our cozy sweaters. We love a nice green salad made with butterhead lettuce (what Martha Stewart calls the underrated lettuce), just as much as one that incorporates fruits and pasta. And in the autumn, several seasonal fruits go perfectly with salads that don't get enough love, including the fig.

According to Helgi Library, the country that produces the most figs is Turkey, where the trees are indigenous. If you live in the United States, however, chances are you are eating figs from California, which, per California Figs, grows all the dried figs produced in the U.S. and 98% of the fresh variety. Figs became a part of this state's agriculture in the late 1700s after Spanish and Portuguese missionaries brought them to the Americas. Today, they are still thriving and can add a special taste and texture to our favorite recipes, especially salads. But if you are wondering what type of fig tastes best in your salad, wonder no more. 

According to Ask the Food Geek, if you want a fig that is mild on sweetness, but packs a whole lot of flavor for your autumn salad, you want to find a grocery store or specialty market that sells Brown Turkey figs. Though similar looking to Black Mission figs, on the inside their flesh is a much softer pink than that of the Black Mission variety. 

So, what do they taste like? Specialty Produce describes the flavor of Brown Turkey figs as "decadent" and similar to the taste of "hazelnuts and confectionaries." The produce expert explains that Brown Turkey figs appear in the spring but can still be found through the beginning weeks of winter. However, they caution that fig season ends when its appearance changes and it begins to taste "woody" and "dry." At this point, it's really not suitable for your salads or other recipes.