num_pages: 128
description: Lusciously sweet and with a complex texture figs are both a nutritious culinary delicacy and an important symbol in religion and culture. Associated with Christmas since the time of Charles Dickensnot to mention Dionysus or the Garden of Edenthe fig is steeped in history. In this account of the festive fruit David C. Sutton places the fig in its historical context examining its peculiar origins and the importance it has garnered in so many countries. Sutton begins by describing the figs strange biologybotanically it is not a fruit but rather a cluster of ingrowing flowersthen considers its Arabian origins including the possibility that the earliest seeds were transported from Yemen to Mesopotamia in the dung of donkeys. Exploring the history of the fruit in fascinating detail Sutton postulates that the forbidden fruit eaten by Adam and Eve was not an apple but a fig; and he discusses the role figs played for the Crusaders and guides readers toward the wonderful fig festivals held today. Chock full of tasty recipes intriguing facts and bizarre stories Figs is a toothsome book of delights. 
language: English
title: Figs: A Global History
publisher: Reaktion Books