Figs

Figs are small, soft fruits that grow on fig trees. They can be purple, green, or brown on the outside. Inside, they are pink or red with lots of tiny seeds. Figs are very sweet and taste a little like honey.

Fig Trees

Fig trees have been grown by people for thousands of years. They first came from the Middle East. The trees have big leaves shaped like hands with fingers. Fig trees can live for a very long time, sometimes more than 100 years. They grow best in warm, sunny places.

Eating Figs

Fresh figs are soft and sweet, but they spoil quickly. That is why many figs are dried to make them last longer. Dried figs are chewy and even sweeter than fresh ones. People use figs in cookies, cakes, and jams. Fig Newtons are a famous cookie made with fig filling inside.

Fun Facts

• Figs are one of the oldest fruits grown by people.
• A fig is actually an inside-out flower, not a regular fruit.
• The Buddha is said to have become enlightened under a fig tree.

Did You Know?

Tiny wasps help pollinate fig flowers by crawling inside the fig, which is why figs and wasps have been partners for millions of years.