1 00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:11,119 Speaker 1: Hello, and not kind of food stuff. I'm Anny and 2 00:00:11,240 --> 00:00:14,560 Speaker 1: I'm Lauren voc Obam and today we're talking about figs. 3 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:18,240 Speaker 1: And Lauren is very excited to talk about figs. Yes, 4 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:22,799 Speaker 1: mostly because of insects. Yes, but we'll get to that later. 5 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:25,439 Speaker 1: It's kind of a horror. It reminds me of alien 6 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:29,640 Speaker 1: a little bit. Yeah, it's definitely. It gets real weird. 7 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:32,320 Speaker 1: I hope you're looking forward to it as much as 8 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:38,040 Speaker 1: I am. But first, bigs, Yeah, what are they? They're 9 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:41,360 Speaker 1: both the fruit and the flower of a tree, like 10 00:00:41,400 --> 00:00:44,320 Speaker 1: a small tree or large shrub in the Ficus genus. 11 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:46,760 Speaker 1: If you've never seen one, A fig is maybe the 12 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:49,400 Speaker 1: size of like a ping pong ball, but tear drop shaped. 13 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:52,479 Speaker 1: They have a thin, edible skin that may be yellowish 14 00:00:52,479 --> 00:00:56,360 Speaker 1: green or purplish, purple or brown or even black, encasing 15 00:00:56,440 --> 00:01:01,880 Speaker 1: a pale, pulpy lining, and many many we orangesh or 16 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 1: reddish florets and yellow seeds. Every fig that you eat 17 00:01:05,959 --> 00:01:10,679 Speaker 1: contains dozens or even thousands of flowers and seeds. Figs 18 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:12,880 Speaker 1: taste very sweet and a little bit like green grassy, 19 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:15,360 Speaker 1: and have this interesting soft, sort of silky, sort of 20 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:20,160 Speaker 1: crunchy texture from all of those florets and seeds to say, 21 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:23,200 Speaker 1: I don't have much experience with figs. No. No, I've 22 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:27,639 Speaker 1: probably had like maybe four in my lifetime, fresh dried, 23 00:01:27,800 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 1: both fresh fresh figs and then fig jam. But I 24 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:38,559 Speaker 1: have a friend who is a fiend for figs. She'll 25 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 1: ask me if she's coming up and should I bring figs, 26 00:01:40,880 --> 00:01:44,560 Speaker 1: And I always say yes, if you want them. That's 27 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:47,480 Speaker 1: one of those scarcity things because they're only only good 28 00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:50,160 Speaker 1: for like a very brief time period, and they don't 29 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:52,840 Speaker 1: ship well, so the fresh ones are hard to get 30 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:55,400 Speaker 1: ahold of the dried ones are kind of everywhere. I'll 31 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:57,800 Speaker 1: have to keep an eye out for them. Uh. And 32 00:01:57,880 --> 00:02:00,040 Speaker 1: there are hundreds of types of figs aside for the 33 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:06,120 Speaker 1: common fig Ficus carica and for added fig confusion. When 34 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:08,240 Speaker 1: a type of fig is introduced or discovered in a 35 00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:10,480 Speaker 1: new country, a lot of times they give it a 36 00:02:10,480 --> 00:02:14,880 Speaker 1: different name, meaning one fig go by several different titles 37 00:02:14,919 --> 00:02:18,480 Speaker 1: depending on where you are. They're related to Indian banyan 38 00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:22,000 Speaker 1: trees and Indian rubber trees, all both also in the 39 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 1: Ficus genus. The latter Ficus benjamina, is a producer of 40 00:02:26,320 --> 00:02:30,120 Speaker 1: natural latex rubber or rubber latex rather as a sort 41 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:34,400 Speaker 1: of sap and fig trees and fig fruits also contain latex, 42 00:02:34,639 --> 00:02:36,639 Speaker 1: which is useful for many things, but can also be 43 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:38,720 Speaker 1: an irritant. If you've ever felt like a little bit 44 00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:41,280 Speaker 1: of itch or burn um on your on your mouth 45 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:43,839 Speaker 1: or lips while you're eating a fig, that's what's up. Huh. 46 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:47,080 Speaker 1: Figs are native to a stretch of land that spans 47 00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:49,799 Speaker 1: from Turkey to northern India, but you can find them 48 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:53,160 Speaker 1: growing in a majority of the Mediterranean countries as well. 49 00:02:53,639 --> 00:02:56,440 Speaker 1: They also grow anywhere with the climate that's on par 50 00:02:56,480 --> 00:02:59,919 Speaker 1: with the Mediterranean, like Chile, Australia, South Africa, and part 51 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:04,639 Speaker 1: of the US. In South Africa's Wonder Boom Nature Reserve, 52 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:08,119 Speaker 1: there's a large grove of one thousand plus year old 53 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:13,000 Speaker 1: parent daughter fig trees encompassing a fifty meter or sixty 54 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:16,400 Speaker 1: four feet area. Surrounding the mother fig are three layers 55 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:19,640 Speaker 1: of daughter trees, a total of thirteen trunks. The branches 56 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:22,160 Speaker 1: of the daughter trees with time of sagged to the 57 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:25,960 Speaker 1: ground and formed roots for new trees, yeah, and attached 58 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:29,200 Speaker 1: around the mother tree. It's really beautiful and quite huge. 59 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:32,359 Speaker 1: It looks like something out of the lion King. Look 60 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:36,320 Speaker 1: it up if you're interested. The name fig derives from 61 00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:40,320 Speaker 1: the Latin word ficus and the Hebrew word fig. It 62 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:44,240 Speaker 1: most likely was first used when the Romans invaded England, 63 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:46,840 Speaker 1: as that was the first time the English would have 64 00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:50,440 Speaker 1: seen fig trees. It was widely adopted for general commercial 65 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:53,840 Speaker 1: use by twelve fifty. There are also a number of 66 00:03:54,080 --> 00:04:00,040 Speaker 1: figurative terms around the fig. There's a Greco Roman and 67 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:04,480 Speaker 1: or Shakespearean English use of the word fig as vulgar 68 00:04:04,600 --> 00:04:08,000 Speaker 1: slang for the word vulva, apparently from the look of 69 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:11,280 Speaker 1: a ripe fig that's been split open um. And there's 70 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:15,560 Speaker 1: also an accompanying gesture which still carries a slightly vulgar connotation, 71 00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:18,800 Speaker 1: wherein um you put your your thumb tip either between 72 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:22,560 Speaker 1: your two middle fingers when you're making a fist or 73 00:04:22,720 --> 00:04:26,599 Speaker 1: or or or the tip of your thumb between your teeth, 74 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:29,919 Speaker 1: like up against your your your upper teeth um. This 75 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:32,960 Speaker 1: totally happens in Romeo and Juliet. In the opening sequence, 76 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:35,840 Speaker 1: one of the capulets mocks some of the Montagues by 77 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:40,640 Speaker 1: biting his thumb at them. Sir, yeah man, rough every 78 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:43,200 Speaker 1: time I find out about some of these I rapidly 79 00:04:43,320 --> 00:04:45,800 Speaker 1: rushed through times in my life. I've probably done it 80 00:04:45,839 --> 00:04:49,200 Speaker 1: and offended someone. Are either just been the source of laughter. 81 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:56,839 Speaker 1: That's probably more it, I don't think anyway. There's also 82 00:04:56,920 --> 00:04:59,880 Speaker 1: a sense of the word fig as in uh full 83 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:04,960 Speaker 1: fig as in a full state of dress or preparedness um, 84 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:09,159 Speaker 1: perhaps either from the abbreviation fig from figure used in 85 00:05:09,279 --> 00:05:12,359 Speaker 1: illustration plates and old books, or from Adam and Eve's 86 00:05:12,440 --> 00:05:16,680 Speaker 1: fig leaves. Could be either, who knows. As far as 87 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:19,920 Speaker 1: nutrition goes, figs have a high fiber and calcium content 88 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:24,960 Speaker 1: and decent amounts of potassium, iron, polyphenols, and flavonoids, so 89 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:28,119 Speaker 1: they're nutritious ish. They also contain a lot of sugar, 90 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:31,480 Speaker 1: about five times as much sugar as fiber. Yes, they 91 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:35,320 Speaker 1: have been and still are used medicinally as well, especially 92 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:38,839 Speaker 1: as a laxative or diuretic and as a cure for boils. 93 00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:42,560 Speaker 1: As of two thousand five, Turkey produced the most figs, 94 00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:45,960 Speaker 1: with Egypt holding the second spot. Since figs both don't 95 00:05:46,040 --> 00:05:48,680 Speaker 1: keep very long, as Lauren mentioned, after you pick them 96 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:51,720 Speaker 1: and they don't do so great and they're being transported, 97 00:05:51,760 --> 00:05:54,360 Speaker 1: a lot of the commercial fig products involves some type 98 00:05:54,400 --> 00:05:58,800 Speaker 1: of processing, like dried figs or jam. Worldwide production is 99 00:05:58,839 --> 00:06:01,760 Speaker 1: about a million metric ton per year, and the fig 100 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:04,320 Speaker 1: is such a common food in the Mediterranean that has 101 00:06:04,320 --> 00:06:07,719 Speaker 1: earned the title the poor man's food. I hear in 102 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:11,640 Speaker 1: England there's a saying I don't give a fig please 103 00:06:11,800 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 1: right in to confirm people from England listening. Uh. In 104 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:20,040 Speaker 1: the United States, California grows about nine percent of our figs. 105 00:06:20,080 --> 00:06:24,680 Speaker 1: As of about of those were grown again to be 106 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:29,800 Speaker 1: dried or otherwise processed. Wow. Figs can be picked and 107 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:33,000 Speaker 1: packed fresh in the field by hand or left to 108 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:36,200 Speaker 1: dry on their trees, and then treated and sometimes pressed 109 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:40,000 Speaker 1: to produce dried figs and then later processed into other stuff. 110 00:06:40,200 --> 00:06:42,760 Speaker 1: It takes about four pounds of fresh figs to produce 111 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:46,200 Speaker 1: one pound of dried Okay, I got a question for 112 00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:50,320 Speaker 1: you before we continue. Have you had a lot of 113 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:52,760 Speaker 1: dried figs in your day? I guess I have. Yeah. 114 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:54,440 Speaker 1: I was kind of big on them as a snack 115 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:56,000 Speaker 1: for a while there. I was. I was doing a 116 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:58,359 Speaker 1: lot of like trail mix kind of things because it 117 00:06:58,440 --> 00:07:00,240 Speaker 1: was only the only way that I could responsible get 118 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:06,600 Speaker 1: myself to eat, like not potato chips. Okay, So maybe 119 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:09,120 Speaker 1: I'm just trying to figure out as someone who has 120 00:07:09,880 --> 00:07:13,800 Speaker 1: very little experience. Are they mostly eaten just a lawn 121 00:07:14,040 --> 00:07:18,600 Speaker 1: or trail mixes and salads like dried figs. Yeah, yeah, 122 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:20,559 Speaker 1: I think that they're they're often because they're they're pretty 123 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:22,480 Speaker 1: large there again, like about the size of a ping 124 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:25,080 Speaker 1: pong ball, or maybe a little bit smaller, so they 125 00:07:25,080 --> 00:07:26,840 Speaker 1: can be some of them are a little bit tinier, 126 00:07:26,920 --> 00:07:30,280 Speaker 1: like like a like a large fresh grape guys. Um. So, 127 00:07:30,280 --> 00:07:34,880 Speaker 1: so they're they're frequently cut into pieces or or chopped 128 00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:38,320 Speaker 1: up and then maybe put into baked goods or used 129 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:43,360 Speaker 1: as a as a sugar substitute in jam form or Yeah. Yeah, 130 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:47,000 Speaker 1: fresh figs definitely are used a lot. Um. My favorite 131 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:52,560 Speaker 1: way to eat fresh figs is on pizza. Oh yeah, 132 00:07:52,600 --> 00:07:55,960 Speaker 1: it's ludicrously delicious, but um, but yeah, they're they're really 133 00:07:55,960 --> 00:07:58,080 Speaker 1: good with a with like a sprinkle of ballsamic on 134 00:07:58,120 --> 00:08:01,880 Speaker 1: top of a salad or just just about any way 135 00:08:01,920 --> 00:08:04,440 Speaker 1: you want to eat them. Okay, I'm a big fig 136 00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:08,000 Speaker 1: fan is as well. Okay, okay, awesome, I just wanted to, 137 00:08:08,320 --> 00:08:11,280 Speaker 1: you know, pick your brain. That's any's question of the 138 00:08:11,280 --> 00:08:16,440 Speaker 1: episode for Lauren. Alright, please continue. Okay, the leaves aside 139 00:08:16,440 --> 00:08:19,120 Speaker 1: from adorning Adam and Eve can be used for cattle 140 00:08:19,120 --> 00:08:22,440 Speaker 1: feed or processed by the perfume industry to create like 141 00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:27,480 Speaker 1: a woody, mossy smelling absolute. Okay, is that like for 142 00:08:27,600 --> 00:08:33,440 Speaker 1: min another question for anyone? I suppose I'm depends on 143 00:08:33,480 --> 00:08:35,600 Speaker 1: what you want to smell like. Okay, Yeah, that's true. 144 00:08:36,400 --> 00:08:39,760 Speaker 1: And the latex from fig plants can be used in 145 00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:45,319 Speaker 1: place of rennette to coagulate milk and create cheeses. Yeah, 146 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:50,600 Speaker 1: that's fascinating. As of the global fig export market was 147 00:08:50,679 --> 00:08:54,440 Speaker 1: valued around four and twenty nine million dollars. Uh. That's 148 00:08:54,440 --> 00:08:57,080 Speaker 1: probably only a fraction of the value of the total 149 00:08:57,120 --> 00:09:01,200 Speaker 1: production market of figs, as many figs are consumed domestically. Peru, 150 00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:04,400 Speaker 1: for example, only exports some three per cent of its 151 00:09:04,400 --> 00:09:07,400 Speaker 1: fig production, and it's about the largest producer in South America. 152 00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:13,240 Speaker 1: And he looked down as though she would find that 153 00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:16,040 Speaker 1: like like the answers to why Peru does this in 154 00:09:16,080 --> 00:09:19,640 Speaker 1: our notes, alas, I didn't know. However, there is an 155 00:09:19,679 --> 00:09:22,880 Speaker 1: anonymous pumpkin in our outline. There is if you're the 156 00:09:22,920 --> 00:09:25,520 Speaker 1: anonymous pumpkin, let her know, let us know, yes, please do. 157 00:09:26,160 --> 00:09:30,640 Speaker 1: There's also here an ad break, after which we will 158 00:09:30,679 --> 00:09:35,599 Speaker 1: continue into the history, the long long history of this 159 00:09:35,679 --> 00:09:50,360 Speaker 1: amazing fruit slash flower, and we're back. Thank you sponsor, Yes, 160 00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:55,320 Speaker 1: thank you so um our pre human ancestors probably eight 161 00:09:55,720 --> 00:10:00,000 Speaker 1: wild figs. Researchers think this because chimpanzees in some areas 162 00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:03,880 Speaker 1: make figs essentially their entire diet for a couple of 163 00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:07,040 Speaker 1: months out of the year. Oh really yeah, diet of figs. 164 00:10:08,160 --> 00:10:10,880 Speaker 1: In either case, figs are one of the first fruits 165 00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:15,360 Speaker 1: primitive humans cultivated. Nine fossilized figs found in the Jordan 166 00:10:15,520 --> 00:10:19,040 Speaker 1: Valley near Jericho suggest cultivation may go as far back 167 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:23,679 Speaker 1: as nine thousand, four hundred BC. Eve. If this is true, 168 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:26,079 Speaker 1: it makes figs one of the first, if not the 169 00:10:26,200 --> 00:10:31,880 Speaker 1: very first, known case of agriculture. And some historians, as 170 00:10:31,880 --> 00:10:34,319 Speaker 1: we sort of hinted at and mentioned in other episodes, 171 00:10:34,559 --> 00:10:37,520 Speaker 1: I think that instead of the apple or the banana, 172 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:41,040 Speaker 1: as we said in Banana episode, the fig was the 173 00:10:41,080 --> 00:10:44,560 Speaker 1: fruit used to tempt Eve in the Garden of Edith. Yeah, 174 00:10:44,760 --> 00:10:47,559 Speaker 1: at the very least fig leaves were used as their 175 00:10:47,640 --> 00:10:50,719 Speaker 1: covering of choice, so it would make sense. Um. This 176 00:10:50,840 --> 00:10:53,439 Speaker 1: use of fig leaves in the place of loincloths pops 177 00:10:53,520 --> 00:10:56,640 Speaker 1: up in several famous and not so famous art works 178 00:10:56,640 --> 00:11:00,800 Speaker 1: throughout history. Sometimes these fig leaf coverings were added after 179 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:05,120 Speaker 1: the peace was finished to appease the delicate sensibilities of 180 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:10,760 Speaker 1: art collectors. Heaven forbid, I see anything that I cannot handle. 181 00:11:11,880 --> 00:11:19,240 Speaker 1: These fig lingus over figley blinders, yes, perfect, Yes. Outside 182 00:11:19,360 --> 00:11:22,559 Speaker 1: of loin costs substitute. The Bible references the fig a 183 00:11:22,600 --> 00:11:26,520 Speaker 1: handful of times. One quote each man under his own 184 00:11:26,640 --> 00:11:29,640 Speaker 1: vine and fig tree has since been used to mean 185 00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:35,160 Speaker 1: peace and prosperity. One fig, the Ficus religiosa, or the 186 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:40,520 Speaker 1: sacred fig, holds religious significance in Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism. 187 00:11:40,679 --> 00:11:44,160 Speaker 1: Buddhist legend goes that Saddharta Gautama was sitting under a 188 00:11:44,240 --> 00:11:48,679 Speaker 1: sacred fig tree bow or Bodhi tree when he was enlightened. 189 00:11:49,120 --> 00:11:53,000 Speaker 1: Ancient Egyptian priests may have eaten figs at their consecration ceremonies. 190 00:11:53,440 --> 00:11:57,359 Speaker 1: In religions around the world, figs do symbolize peace, prosperity, 191 00:11:57,400 --> 00:12:00,920 Speaker 1: and fertility. The prophet Mohammad alleged really named the fig 192 00:12:00,960 --> 00:12:04,679 Speaker 1: as the fruit he hoped most defined in Paradise. Yeah, 193 00:12:05,120 --> 00:12:09,320 Speaker 1: big fan too. Um. Figs probably originated in the northern 194 00:12:09,360 --> 00:12:12,960 Speaker 1: part of Asia. Minor records of figs used for food 195 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:16,440 Speaker 1: purposes on ancient Sumerian tablets go back to two thousand five. 196 00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:21,000 Speaker 1: From there they spread throughout the Mediterranean with the Romans 197 00:12:21,040 --> 00:12:24,839 Speaker 1: and the Greeks. The diet of ancient Romans included a 198 00:12:24,880 --> 00:12:28,160 Speaker 1: decent amount of figs. Are old. How Plenty wrote about 199 00:12:28,320 --> 00:12:32,760 Speaker 1: twenty nine varieties. He had one hundred and eleven observations 200 00:12:32,760 --> 00:12:37,600 Speaker 1: on fixed. In fact, I kind of want to read them, honestly, 201 00:12:38,120 --> 00:12:42,120 Speaker 1: one hundred and eleven. That's quite impressive. Um. According to him, 202 00:12:42,160 --> 00:12:44,800 Speaker 1: figs were a food staple for slaves in their place 203 00:12:44,840 --> 00:12:49,200 Speaker 1: of origin. He also wrote about its potential health benefits, 204 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:53,000 Speaker 1: including this fruit invigorates the young and improves the health 205 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:56,079 Speaker 1: of the aged and retards the formation of wrinkles, and 206 00:12:56,120 --> 00:13:01,520 Speaker 1: also mixed with axle grease, fig milk removes warts axcel grease. 207 00:13:03,240 --> 00:13:08,400 Speaker 1: A mystery of history. In the Greek myth of Romulus 208 00:13:08,400 --> 00:13:12,160 Speaker 1: and Remus, the brothers the twins were nursed by the 209 00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:15,640 Speaker 1: she wolf under a fig tree, and to convince the 210 00:13:15,760 --> 00:13:18,640 Speaker 1: Roman senate to go to war for the third time 211 00:13:18,679 --> 00:13:23,920 Speaker 1: with Carthage around on, Cato the Elder brought to the 212 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:27,840 Speaker 1: debate a handful of figs from Carthage as an example 213 00:13:27,880 --> 00:13:30,960 Speaker 1: of how close the threat was, and it worked on 214 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:34,760 Speaker 1: two levels because he also accused the senators of being 215 00:13:34,960 --> 00:13:39,679 Speaker 1: feminine like the insides of a fig. I know, harshness, 216 00:13:40,200 --> 00:13:44,040 Speaker 1: very I mean, come on, cat, when people call me feminine, yeah, 217 00:13:44,040 --> 00:13:48,720 Speaker 1: it's the worst, right. Ancient Greece enjoyed quite a bit 218 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:51,480 Speaker 1: of figs as well, and Spartans included it as an 219 00:13:51,520 --> 00:13:55,280 Speaker 1: item at their public tables, um and public tables. If 220 00:13:55,280 --> 00:13:58,440 Speaker 1: you're like me and we're like uh. They were meals 221 00:13:58,480 --> 00:14:01,160 Speaker 1: that were open to everyone in certain groups. So I 222 00:14:01,160 --> 00:14:06,040 Speaker 1: imagine like sorority dinners or something is modern equivalent. It 223 00:14:06,240 --> 00:14:10,280 Speaker 1: was another food that ancient Greek olympians eight to improve performance. 224 00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:13,280 Speaker 1: Figs even play a role in Greek myth. The story 225 00:14:13,360 --> 00:14:17,000 Speaker 1: goes that Apollo instructed a crow to fetch him some water, 226 00:14:17,440 --> 00:14:19,720 Speaker 1: but the crow saw fig tree and could not resist 227 00:14:19,760 --> 00:14:22,680 Speaker 1: waiting around in the branches for some sweet, sweet fruit 228 00:14:22,960 --> 00:14:26,640 Speaker 1: to ripen. To cover his tardiness and escape punishment, the 229 00:14:26,680 --> 00:14:29,160 Speaker 1: crow scoops up a snake along with some water from 230 00:14:29,160 --> 00:14:33,720 Speaker 1: the stream and blames the snake for his lateness. Apollo 231 00:14:33,880 --> 00:14:36,640 Speaker 1: is not fooled, however, for he is a god, and 232 00:14:36,680 --> 00:14:40,680 Speaker 1: he hurdles the snake, the crow and the goblet. I 233 00:14:40,720 --> 00:14:44,920 Speaker 1: guess the crow had to collect water into the sky, 234 00:14:45,040 --> 00:14:49,520 Speaker 1: forming the constellations Hydra, Corvus, and Crater. Yeah, the little 235 00:14:49,520 --> 00:14:54,520 Speaker 1: stories like that. Bacchus from Latin myth believed the fig 236 00:14:54,600 --> 00:15:00,720 Speaker 1: was sacred and used it ceremonially. Ceremonially. Oh and here's 237 00:15:00,720 --> 00:15:04,760 Speaker 1: another fund. I love this. In Greece, figs were known 238 00:15:04,960 --> 00:15:09,600 Speaker 1: as sikes. I'm gonna get six would make more sense. Yes, sorry, 239 00:15:09,640 --> 00:15:12,120 Speaker 1: it looks like sex, but it is probably pronounced six 240 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:17,520 Speaker 1: after ancient Greek city Sicion that was known for its figs. 241 00:15:18,360 --> 00:15:22,520 Speaker 1: Big fans of figs, the Athenians earned the nickname sickle fence, 242 00:15:22,640 --> 00:15:27,000 Speaker 1: which translated to big revealers, and the word came to 243 00:15:27,040 --> 00:15:30,760 Speaker 1: mean slanderer in ancient Greek. Historians think this is because 244 00:15:31,280 --> 00:15:33,840 Speaker 1: of the tax imposed on figs brought to markets by 245 00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:37,000 Speaker 1: Greek farmers. Some farmers would try to skirt the tax, 246 00:15:37,200 --> 00:15:41,520 Speaker 1: and the farmers that snitched were called fig revealers. Or 247 00:15:42,640 --> 00:15:45,000 Speaker 1: it could come from another meaning of the word fig 248 00:15:45,080 --> 00:15:47,280 Speaker 1: for a gesture or sign of contempt what Lauren was 249 00:15:47,280 --> 00:15:50,680 Speaker 1: talking about earlier. It wasn't until English Speakers adopted the 250 00:15:50,720 --> 00:15:52,880 Speaker 1: word in the sixteenth century that took on its current 251 00:15:52,920 --> 00:15:57,840 Speaker 1: meaning of flat or or suck up. Dried figs were 252 00:15:57,840 --> 00:16:02,000 Speaker 1: plentiful enough to sometimes replace bread in the ancient Mediterranean. 253 00:16:02,280 --> 00:16:05,040 Speaker 1: The Greeks also made fig wine and would fatten geese 254 00:16:05,040 --> 00:16:07,920 Speaker 1: on figs and then eat their livers as a delicacy. 255 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:10,680 Speaker 1: Before sugar happened, figs were a common way to sweeten 256 00:16:10,760 --> 00:16:15,320 Speaker 1: and help preserve foods. Written mention of figs and China 257 00:16:15,320 --> 00:16:18,120 Speaker 1: and try aspect to the eighth century CE, the writer 258 00:16:18,200 --> 00:16:22,200 Speaker 1: described them as fruits without blossoms. They may go back 259 00:16:22,200 --> 00:16:26,880 Speaker 1: to seven C when the Emperor put together an expedition 260 00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:30,720 Speaker 1: to Central Asia, but there is no definitive proof of that. 261 00:16:31,640 --> 00:16:35,040 Speaker 1: Um figs were for sure growing in China by fourteenth 262 00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:37,440 Speaker 1: century CE, but they may not have been the common 263 00:16:37,480 --> 00:16:42,400 Speaker 1: fig we know. In the fift twenties, the Spanish and 264 00:16:42,480 --> 00:16:45,600 Speaker 1: Portuguese missionaries to the colonies and the New World began 265 00:16:45,680 --> 00:16:48,640 Speaker 1: introducing fig trees in the Caribbean and then later along 266 00:16:48,680 --> 00:16:52,640 Speaker 1: the East coast of North America. As mentioned, the top 267 00:16:52,840 --> 00:16:55,120 Speaker 1: figs probably came to England with the invading Romans, with 268 00:16:55,160 --> 00:16:58,120 Speaker 1: the trees died out after the Romans left. They were 269 00:16:58,120 --> 00:17:01,680 Speaker 1: reintroduced during the role the rule of Henry the eighth 270 00:17:02,080 --> 00:17:05,760 Speaker 1: and Records from described fig trees being planted in England 271 00:17:06,160 --> 00:17:08,879 Speaker 1: a bit later in seven descriptions say, and I'm kind 272 00:17:08,920 --> 00:17:12,080 Speaker 1: of paraphrasing here that fig trees never mature unless they 273 00:17:12,080 --> 00:17:14,639 Speaker 1: are planted. They are a hot wall, and they're a 274 00:17:14,720 --> 00:17:19,240 Speaker 1: hot wall, a hot wall. Um, Okay, I'm going to 275 00:17:19,320 --> 00:17:23,200 Speaker 1: guess there's some temperature thing happening there. Sure. Uh. Spanish 276 00:17:23,200 --> 00:17:26,480 Speaker 1: Franciscan missionaries brought fig trees to the West coast of 277 00:17:26,480 --> 00:17:30,359 Speaker 1: America beginning in seventeen sixty nine. This variety would develop 278 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:36,479 Speaker 1: into the Mission Big the Mission Fig Missionaries Mission figs Um. 279 00:17:36,520 --> 00:17:39,639 Speaker 1: In the eighteen eighties, there was another variety introduced to 280 00:17:39,680 --> 00:17:43,240 Speaker 1: California that had a little bit more trouble, the Smyrna fig. 281 00:17:43,800 --> 00:17:46,320 Speaker 1: For a decade, there were all of these cuttings and 282 00:17:46,480 --> 00:17:50,160 Speaker 1: seeds planted, but their fruit fell off the trees without maturing. 283 00:17:50,760 --> 00:17:53,160 Speaker 1: It was almost an international scandal. Folks were all going, 284 00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:56,720 Speaker 1: those smart EN's fooled us with lousy stuff. We should 285 00:17:56,720 --> 00:18:00,480 Speaker 1: abandoned this fig folly, not fig folly that A writer 286 00:18:00,640 --> 00:18:04,080 Speaker 1: literally wrote fig in an article from the time um, 287 00:18:04,119 --> 00:18:06,960 Speaker 1: but the farmers eventually worked it out, with the particular 288 00:18:07,359 --> 00:18:10,359 Speaker 1: perseverance and no little snark from one at George C. 289 00:18:10,760 --> 00:18:14,600 Speaker 1: Wroting of Fresno, who was in his family's fruit business. There. 290 00:18:14,880 --> 00:18:19,000 Speaker 1: It would take ten years, multiple trips to Turkey, painstaking 291 00:18:19,040 --> 00:18:23,240 Speaker 1: experiments with hand pollination, and help from entomologists before they 292 00:18:23,240 --> 00:18:27,320 Speaker 1: managed to get a good crop. And yes, entomologists, they 293 00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:29,639 Speaker 1: had to import not just the fig plants, but the 294 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:35,439 Speaker 1: Blastophaga grossorum, a type of fig wasp, to pollinate those figs. 295 00:18:36,800 --> 00:18:39,120 Speaker 1: Again with the insects. More on that just a little 296 00:18:39,119 --> 00:18:41,800 Speaker 1: bit later. Suffice to say that it worked, and the 297 00:18:41,880 --> 00:18:44,960 Speaker 1: California fig industry was booming by the end of the 298 00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:54,280 Speaker 1: eighteen hundreds, and then in the fig Newton became commercially 299 00:18:54,320 --> 00:18:58,359 Speaker 1: available after cookie maker Charles M. Roser sold the recipe 300 00:18:58,359 --> 00:19:01,480 Speaker 1: to Nibiscoe, which at the time was called Kentucky Biscuit Works. 301 00:19:02,320 --> 00:19:05,280 Speaker 1: If you don't know what these are, they are short, 302 00:19:05,400 --> 00:19:10,800 Speaker 1: rectangular soft cookies filled with fig jam. Kind of associate 303 00:19:10,840 --> 00:19:17,560 Speaker 1: them with sad, sad, it's so good. No no, no, no, 304 00:19:17,720 --> 00:19:21,040 Speaker 1: just like you're you're hoping for something better and side 305 00:19:21,080 --> 00:19:23,680 Speaker 1: does school lunch and it's and it's just a fake Newton. Yeah, 306 00:19:23,720 --> 00:19:26,840 Speaker 1: they're fine. I went through a big fake Newton. I 307 00:19:26,880 --> 00:19:29,040 Speaker 1: still have a kind of nostalgia for them. Oh yeah, 308 00:19:29,040 --> 00:19:30,639 Speaker 1: I I did read a lot of people have a 309 00:19:30,680 --> 00:19:35,080 Speaker 1: nostalgia for them. Um. The mass productions of these fake 310 00:19:35,160 --> 00:19:37,840 Speaker 1: Newton's was made possible with the invention of a machine 311 00:19:37,840 --> 00:19:41,000 Speaker 1: that operated sort of like having two funnels, one inside 312 00:19:41,080 --> 00:19:43,879 Speaker 1: the other, and through the bigger funnel went the dough 313 00:19:44,119 --> 00:19:48,000 Speaker 1: and the smaller funnel went the filling into one long 314 00:19:48,080 --> 00:19:53,320 Speaker 1: cookie that was cut into bite sized pieces. Yeahs of tubes. Yeah, 315 00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:56,040 Speaker 1: a series of tubes. That's what the Internet is, That's 316 00:19:56,040 --> 00:20:00,719 Speaker 1: what I hear. At first, the cookies were simply called Newton's. Allegedly, 317 00:20:00,840 --> 00:20:04,560 Speaker 1: the machines inventor James Henry Mitchell named the machine after 318 00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:10,800 Speaker 1: physicist Isaac Newton, but in actuality they were named after Newton, Massachusetts. Yeah. 319 00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:13,720 Speaker 1: The fig part of the name was added a bit 320 00:20:13,800 --> 00:20:16,960 Speaker 1: later in response to the generally positive reaction to the 321 00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:23,440 Speaker 1: filling Newton's a fig Jamboree. A nineteen fifty one ad 322 00:20:23,480 --> 00:20:26,720 Speaker 1: called it. They were called cakes until the nineteen eighties 323 00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:30,879 Speaker 1: rebrand advertised them as chewy cookies. In a bit of 324 00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:34,119 Speaker 1: a funny twist. The fig was dropped in two thousand twelve, 325 00:20:34,240 --> 00:20:38,639 Speaker 1: so they once again are simply called Newton's. Yeah, in 326 00:20:38,840 --> 00:20:43,520 Speaker 1: part because figs have an association with old people. Yeah, 327 00:20:43,640 --> 00:20:48,520 Speaker 1: what's wrong with that anyway? The right up for it says, 328 00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:52,320 Speaker 1: an association with old people similar to prunes. And in 329 00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:56,119 Speaker 1: part because they come in different flavors. That's one of 330 00:20:56,119 --> 00:20:58,720 Speaker 1: the other reasons that the fake Newton's not. Yes, not 331 00:20:58,800 --> 00:21:03,040 Speaker 1: the old people. They are not word of pruce Um. 332 00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:06,040 Speaker 1: Consumers surveyed to about the fig part of Fig Newton's 333 00:21:06,040 --> 00:21:10,760 Speaker 1: described them as too laxative. E. That is not a 334 00:21:10,880 --> 00:21:17,320 Speaker 1: term I knew one. Would you describe things? The senior 335 00:21:17,320 --> 00:21:19,520 Speaker 1: director in charge of FIG Newton said of the decision, 336 00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:21,680 Speaker 1: it was going to be hard for us to advance 337 00:21:21,680 --> 00:21:29,600 Speaker 1: the Newton's brand the baggage of the fig. Yeah, baggage 338 00:21:30,040 --> 00:21:34,000 Speaker 1: I know. From the Snack Works website you can find 339 00:21:34,040 --> 00:21:37,960 Speaker 1: recipes for Newton's topped with ham and cheese, are brie, 340 00:21:38,720 --> 00:21:43,119 Speaker 1: or as a topping on salad. I don't okay that 341 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:46,280 Speaker 1: last one. I don't buy those first two. I was like, yes, board, 342 00:21:46,520 --> 00:21:49,680 Speaker 1: I will use my cookies as crackers and put stuff 343 00:21:49,720 --> 00:21:52,399 Speaker 1: on top of them all the time. That sounds great, 344 00:21:53,080 --> 00:21:57,120 Speaker 1: but it was a very i have to say, an 345 00:21:57,160 --> 00:22:04,920 Speaker 1: appetizing image next to the but you know, whatever you like. Yeah. Um. 346 00:22:04,960 --> 00:22:08,520 Speaker 1: And one last thing about the formerly fig Newton UH 347 00:22:08,680 --> 00:22:12,800 Speaker 1: nineteen seventies ad campaign featured actor James Harder dressed as 348 00:22:12,840 --> 00:22:16,639 Speaker 1: a fig named Big Fig and singing one of the 349 00:22:16,680 --> 00:22:19,960 Speaker 1: lines is is it good darned tutin doing the big 350 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:31,120 Speaker 1: Fig Newton? The big um. Modernly figs are considered both 351 00:22:31,160 --> 00:22:35,200 Speaker 1: an excellent crop for humans and ecosystems in general. There 352 00:22:35,200 --> 00:22:38,399 Speaker 1: are records of nearly one thousand, three hundred bird and 353 00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:42,600 Speaker 1: mammal species eating figs, and new fig growth can spread 354 00:22:42,720 --> 00:22:47,640 Speaker 1: quickly as those creatures travel and you know, deposit the seeds. Yeah. Sure. 355 00:22:48,200 --> 00:22:51,359 Speaker 1: Fig trees grow quickly and attract more animals and birds, 356 00:22:51,520 --> 00:22:55,000 Speaker 1: which in turn deposit more species of seeds. So figs 357 00:22:55,040 --> 00:22:58,080 Speaker 1: can really help repair deforestation, and their root systems can 358 00:22:58,160 --> 00:23:01,119 Speaker 1: be cultivated and used to prevent a rosion and landslides 359 00:23:01,200 --> 00:23:05,840 Speaker 1: during stormy seasons. They're pretty great. Yeah. I don't know 360 00:23:05,840 --> 00:23:09,920 Speaker 1: what fig Newton talking about. Baggage of the fig fig baggage. 361 00:23:11,160 --> 00:23:15,840 Speaker 1: You'd be so lucky to have the fig right, come on, yeah, 362 00:23:15,880 --> 00:23:19,680 Speaker 1: that's a that's a pleasant week up. Note. Yeah, way 363 00:23:19,720 --> 00:23:22,119 Speaker 1: to end this history section. And it brings us to 364 00:23:25,640 --> 00:23:27,960 Speaker 1: well another ad break. But but then, but then it 365 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:29,880 Speaker 1: brings us to all that insect stuff we were talking 366 00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:42,560 Speaker 1: about earlier. Okay, back in a bit and we're back. 367 00:23:42,640 --> 00:23:47,800 Speaker 1: Thank you, sponsors, Yes, thank you. Okay, So science portion 368 00:23:48,080 --> 00:23:53,960 Speaker 1: fig wasps, big wasps. Yes, because biologically speaking, figs are 369 00:23:54,119 --> 00:23:58,600 Speaker 1: fig and fascinating. Oh I'm sorry, um, Like I alluded 370 00:23:58,640 --> 00:24:02,080 Speaker 1: to earlier, a fig as a unit is not strictly 371 00:24:02,119 --> 00:24:05,800 Speaker 1: a fruit. It's a it's a fruit plus flower situation. 372 00:24:05,840 --> 00:24:09,960 Speaker 1: It's sort of an inside out cluster of flowers. Each 373 00:24:10,119 --> 00:24:13,600 Speaker 1: flower bears a seed, and this type of cluster is 374 00:24:13,640 --> 00:24:18,439 Speaker 1: known as an inflorescence inflorescence. Um. The structure protects the 375 00:24:18,440 --> 00:24:20,960 Speaker 1: flowers and the seeds as they mature, but it also 376 00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:25,800 Speaker 1: means that pollinating those flowers is really difficult. Enter the 377 00:24:25,840 --> 00:24:30,240 Speaker 1: fig wasp. Of course, figs of all kinds co evolved 378 00:24:30,280 --> 00:24:33,760 Speaker 1: with specific species of wasps that pollinate a fig, this 379 00:24:33,920 --> 00:24:37,720 Speaker 1: this inside out flower cluster by crawling into one. What 380 00:24:40,160 --> 00:24:42,360 Speaker 1: these these fig wasps tend to be about about one 381 00:24:42,359 --> 00:24:46,359 Speaker 1: point five millimeters a k a zero point zero six 382 00:24:46,400 --> 00:24:50,520 Speaker 1: inches in length. They're just tiny little baby buddies. But 383 00:24:50,640 --> 00:24:55,600 Speaker 1: why nature, uh you know why? This has led to 384 00:24:55,600 --> 00:24:58,440 Speaker 1: a sort of urban myth, or the rural myth myth 385 00:24:58,480 --> 00:25:01,679 Speaker 1: in general, that that figs can ta wasps and that 386 00:25:01,720 --> 00:25:06,840 Speaker 1: the crunchy bits inside of figs are wasp bits. They're not. Okay. 387 00:25:07,680 --> 00:25:10,720 Speaker 1: First off, many commercially produced figs these days are cultivars, 388 00:25:10,760 --> 00:25:14,760 Speaker 1: that's human produced varieties of trees whose figs can either 389 00:25:14,840 --> 00:25:18,400 Speaker 1: ripen without pollination or can be prompted to ripen by 390 00:25:18,440 --> 00:25:24,480 Speaker 1: spraying them with like figgy hormones. Hormones. That's gonna be 391 00:25:24,480 --> 00:25:30,000 Speaker 1: a DJ name somewhere, I hope, If not, if not, 392 00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:34,000 Speaker 1: one of y'all get on it. Please. But even figs 393 00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:37,400 Speaker 1: that pollinate to the old fashioned way don't contain wasps. 394 00:25:38,119 --> 00:25:41,639 Speaker 1: I will explain and note. There's a few ways that 395 00:25:41,680 --> 00:25:45,879 Speaker 1: fig wasps can reproduce via fig fruits. This one is 396 00:25:45,920 --> 00:25:47,520 Speaker 1: the one that we talk about when we talk about 397 00:25:47,520 --> 00:25:52,600 Speaker 1: the figs that are generally eaten by humans. Generally mm hmm. Okay. 398 00:25:52,960 --> 00:25:58,199 Speaker 1: So figs are chamber to protect seeds that we chamber, 399 00:25:58,280 --> 00:26:00,520 Speaker 1: as it turns out, is also great action for a 400 00:26:00,600 --> 00:26:06,280 Speaker 1: lady wasp looking to lay her eggs or rather, inedible 401 00:26:06,440 --> 00:26:11,280 Speaker 1: male figs are um. These are called caprifigs to distinguish 402 00:26:11,359 --> 00:26:13,359 Speaker 1: them from female figs, which are the kind we eat 403 00:26:13,600 --> 00:26:16,240 Speaker 1: and which have too much stuff in them for wasps 404 00:26:16,240 --> 00:26:20,760 Speaker 1: to lay eggs inside. But male caprifigs are perfect. So 405 00:26:21,440 --> 00:26:24,159 Speaker 1: a lady wasp has been buzzing around using whatever the 406 00:26:24,200 --> 00:26:26,880 Speaker 1: wasp equivalent of tinder is, and she's ready to lay 407 00:26:26,920 --> 00:26:30,119 Speaker 1: some eggs. She finds a suitable fig and crawls in 408 00:26:30,359 --> 00:26:33,359 Speaker 1: via a tiny hole at the round base of the fig. 409 00:26:33,400 --> 00:26:36,560 Speaker 1: It's called the eye or the ostiole, and it's a 410 00:26:36,600 --> 00:26:39,600 Speaker 1: tight fit. She she probably loses her legs and wings 411 00:26:39,640 --> 00:26:42,399 Speaker 1: in the process. She's moving in. This will be her 412 00:26:42,440 --> 00:26:46,080 Speaker 1: final resting post. Okay, it's her home and coffin final 413 00:26:46,119 --> 00:26:49,919 Speaker 1: resting fig. Yeah, but if it is indeed a caprifig, 414 00:26:50,160 --> 00:26:53,080 Speaker 1: she gets to lay her eggs. When they hatch, the 415 00:26:53,560 --> 00:26:58,960 Speaker 1: male and female offspring mate with each other. Okay, okay, yeah, 416 00:26:59,240 --> 00:27:00,879 Speaker 1: you know, I mean it's a a minute for that 417 00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:03,440 Speaker 1: to set in. But now, okay, it's it's it's insects. 418 00:27:03,440 --> 00:27:08,640 Speaker 1: It's not incest if it's bugs. It's so close though, 419 00:27:08,680 --> 00:27:13,000 Speaker 1: it's one letter almost When we did a video about 420 00:27:13,040 --> 00:27:15,600 Speaker 1: this on on brain Stuff one time, I threw in 421 00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:18,240 Speaker 1: like a casual joke, like they're kind of all Targarians, 422 00:27:18,280 --> 00:27:21,040 Speaker 1: It's fine, and I got so many comments that were 423 00:27:21,040 --> 00:27:23,639 Speaker 1: correcting me, saying that, oh, it's the Lanisters who have 424 00:27:23,720 --> 00:27:27,040 Speaker 1: an incestual relationship on Game of Thrones, but actually the 425 00:27:27,080 --> 00:27:29,920 Speaker 1: Targartians are the ones with a history of incest and 426 00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:33,960 Speaker 1: Jamie and Searcy, oh wish that they were burn To 427 00:27:34,119 --> 00:27:40,399 Speaker 1: all you YouTube commenters years ago, revenge is best servile 428 00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:44,119 Speaker 1: and Lauren has just served it up for you really 429 00:27:44,280 --> 00:27:47,320 Speaker 1: really cold, and I guess it was sort of served. 430 00:27:47,680 --> 00:27:50,159 Speaker 1: Thank you for thank you for coming with me on that. 431 00:27:50,400 --> 00:27:56,520 Speaker 1: Oh I enjoyed it. Lame revenge journey anyway. Um. The 432 00:27:56,119 --> 00:28:02,119 Speaker 1: the the male uh wasp babies are wingless and sometimes blind. 433 00:28:02,600 --> 00:28:05,520 Speaker 1: Their only job in life is to mate and then 434 00:28:05,640 --> 00:28:08,360 Speaker 1: chew a path out of the fig for the females, 435 00:28:09,280 --> 00:28:12,640 Speaker 1: for future females, for for for their for their sisters 436 00:28:12,680 --> 00:28:16,040 Speaker 1: that they've made it. Oh yes, yeah, how could I 437 00:28:16,080 --> 00:28:19,879 Speaker 1: forget them right right? The females then crawl to freedom, 438 00:28:19,880 --> 00:28:23,600 Speaker 1: passively collecting pollen from the inside of the male fig 439 00:28:23,640 --> 00:28:27,880 Speaker 1: along the way, and the cycle continues. The circle of fig. 440 00:28:29,520 --> 00:28:33,080 Speaker 1: The circle of fig, it moves some of us um, 441 00:28:33,119 --> 00:28:36,080 Speaker 1: but that's only half the story. If a lady wasp 442 00:28:36,240 --> 00:28:40,480 Speaker 1: enters a potentially edible female fig instead of this male caprifig, 443 00:28:41,120 --> 00:28:43,080 Speaker 1: it doesn't have enough room inside for her to lay 444 00:28:43,080 --> 00:28:46,680 Speaker 1: her eggs, and she will die without reproducing. However, it's 445 00:28:46,720 --> 00:28:49,720 Speaker 1: not in vain. She'll have carried pollen from her home 446 00:28:49,800 --> 00:28:52,880 Speaker 1: fig her her fig of birth along with her, which 447 00:28:52,880 --> 00:28:55,600 Speaker 1: will pollinate the female fig and allow it to develop 448 00:28:55,640 --> 00:29:00,840 Speaker 1: and ripen into a delicious, edible fig for us. Your 449 00:29:00,920 --> 00:29:04,120 Speaker 1: death wasn't in vain. How often does this happen that 450 00:29:04,200 --> 00:29:06,920 Speaker 1: they go into the wrong fig? I enough that we 451 00:29:06,960 --> 00:29:12,560 Speaker 1: get to eat figs? So quite often. Yeah. However, even 452 00:29:12,760 --> 00:29:15,320 Speaker 1: these figs do not contain any wasp parts by the 453 00:29:15,320 --> 00:29:18,320 Speaker 1: time you eat them. That is because the fig produces 454 00:29:18,360 --> 00:29:21,680 Speaker 1: a compound called ficing that can break down the wasps body, 455 00:29:21,920 --> 00:29:26,400 Speaker 1: creating food for its growing flowers and seeds. So figs 456 00:29:26,400 --> 00:29:28,920 Speaker 1: are kind of cannibals, but you're not eating wasp parts. 457 00:29:30,120 --> 00:29:35,880 Speaker 1: That is the quote of the episode right there. I'm 458 00:29:35,920 --> 00:29:37,840 Speaker 1: gonna think about that next time I see a fig. 459 00:29:37,880 --> 00:29:41,280 Speaker 1: In the story, you're cannibal, but there's no lost parts there. 460 00:29:42,040 --> 00:29:46,320 Speaker 1: Some vegans do avoid figs for this reason. Oh really, Yeah, 461 00:29:46,440 --> 00:29:49,040 Speaker 1: and ficing. By the way, it's also useful to humans 462 00:29:49,080 --> 00:29:55,080 Speaker 1: for tenderizing meat, rendering fat, and clarifying solutions like booze. Okay, yeah, 463 00:29:55,960 --> 00:30:00,200 Speaker 1: but but well done. It's it's actually about to get 464 00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:05,040 Speaker 1: more intense. What how can that be? The fig wasps 465 00:30:05,080 --> 00:30:07,920 Speaker 1: that we've been talking about passively pick up pollen when 466 00:30:07,960 --> 00:30:11,720 Speaker 1: they exit their birth fig but other fig wasps actively 467 00:30:11,800 --> 00:30:15,120 Speaker 1: collect pollen and have these specialized pouches on their bodies 468 00:30:15,160 --> 00:30:18,960 Speaker 1: for that purpose. And research done by Cornell and the 469 00:30:19,040 --> 00:30:23,280 Speaker 1: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute indicates that in the case of 470 00:30:23,320 --> 00:30:27,520 Speaker 1: these active pollen collecting wasps, fig trees help evolutions select 471 00:30:27,960 --> 00:30:31,080 Speaker 1: for wasps that actually do the job. Like if a 472 00:30:31,120 --> 00:30:34,280 Speaker 1: wasp fails to deliver pollen to a fig, the tree 473 00:30:34,320 --> 00:30:36,680 Speaker 1: will drop the fig early and the wasps eggs will 474 00:30:36,720 --> 00:30:41,560 Speaker 1: die before they can hatch. WHOA, that's brutal. Yeah. Trees 475 00:30:41,600 --> 00:30:45,400 Speaker 1: that meanwhile have co evolved with passive pollinating wasps almost 476 00:30:45,400 --> 00:30:50,520 Speaker 1: never abort their fruit. That's fascinating. But they do trick 477 00:30:50,600 --> 00:30:54,520 Speaker 1: lady wasps into entering female figs and thus pollinating them 478 00:30:54,520 --> 00:30:57,080 Speaker 1: and also dying without laying their eggs by having their 479 00:30:57,120 --> 00:31:02,280 Speaker 1: female figs mimic the scent of male figs like dang 480 00:31:02,440 --> 00:31:10,040 Speaker 1: fig trees. That is harsh. I know, man wasps. There's 481 00:31:10,080 --> 00:31:14,240 Speaker 1: really no evolutionary pressure though for wasps to avoid being 482 00:31:14,240 --> 00:31:17,520 Speaker 1: tricked like this because they're so inbred. Um. You know, 483 00:31:17,640 --> 00:31:20,440 Speaker 1: at any given lady wasps jeans will live on through 484 00:31:20,480 --> 00:31:29,040 Speaker 1: her sisters. So the cycle of fig indeed, wow, it's 485 00:31:29,080 --> 00:31:33,120 Speaker 1: a strange story. And it might all sound like really 486 00:31:33,160 --> 00:31:36,600 Speaker 1: gross or at the very least like super metal, um, 487 00:31:36,960 --> 00:31:40,480 Speaker 1: but it's it's also just a very cool example of 488 00:31:40,560 --> 00:31:44,760 Speaker 1: mutualism in nature, in which two species equally benefit from 489 00:31:44,800 --> 00:31:48,200 Speaker 1: their relationship. Researchers think that figs and fig wasps have 490 00:31:48,240 --> 00:31:53,000 Speaker 1: been working like this together for sixty five million years um, 491 00:31:53,040 --> 00:31:58,840 Speaker 1: which is a really long time to perfect this process. Yeah, okay, 492 00:31:58,640 --> 00:32:02,000 Speaker 1: I have so many ideas. Is I want to see 493 00:32:02,040 --> 00:32:06,920 Speaker 1: the cover photoshop of Jassic Park and it's like a 494 00:32:06,960 --> 00:32:09,280 Speaker 1: fig you know, where the red thing is on the cover, 495 00:32:09,920 --> 00:32:13,880 Speaker 1: and then a wasp is the t rex work at 496 00:32:13,960 --> 00:32:17,480 Speaker 1: sixty five million years in the making, And then I 497 00:32:17,480 --> 00:32:21,480 Speaker 1: want to have like a subplot where come with me 498 00:32:21,520 --> 00:32:24,600 Speaker 1: on this journey, you guys, Okay, I want the figs 499 00:32:24,640 --> 00:32:28,600 Speaker 1: so in the family treat a big boss. They're if 500 00:32:28,720 --> 00:32:32,880 Speaker 1: they're big involved and if so on the passport when 501 00:32:32,920 --> 00:32:35,560 Speaker 1: you say fig of origin, because big Wasp would have 502 00:32:35,600 --> 00:32:38,560 Speaker 1: passports in this story that I'm creating, clearly, how would 503 00:32:38,560 --> 00:32:43,720 Speaker 1: we differentiate between the different figs. It's a whole tiny 504 00:32:43,840 --> 00:32:46,920 Speaker 1: Wasp universe out there just waiting to be populated. I 505 00:32:47,040 --> 00:32:51,160 Speaker 1: know there's so much to be written and created and 506 00:32:51,200 --> 00:32:57,120 Speaker 1: to discover. It's all thanks to figs and fig Wasp. 507 00:33:01,880 --> 00:33:05,040 Speaker 1: They really work together to make something beautiful. They do. 508 00:33:05,400 --> 00:33:07,680 Speaker 1: I hope that, um, for at least some of you, 509 00:33:08,280 --> 00:33:09,880 Speaker 1: you had no idea that we were going to be 510 00:33:09,960 --> 00:33:12,400 Speaker 1: talking about Wasp in this. I don't know how common 511 00:33:12,440 --> 00:33:15,520 Speaker 1: it is around our offices, like common knowledge, because we did. 512 00:33:15,800 --> 00:33:18,200 Speaker 1: You did that episode brain Stuff a while ago. Yeah, 513 00:33:18,240 --> 00:33:20,840 Speaker 1: and robertly I had written an article about it before that, 514 00:33:21,080 --> 00:33:23,840 Speaker 1: so yeah, yeah, But I don't know how common it 515 00:33:24,000 --> 00:33:26,400 Speaker 1: is outside of I had never heard the myth that 516 00:33:26,760 --> 00:33:30,680 Speaker 1: that figs contain wasps, but apparently it's a relatively common. 517 00:33:30,800 --> 00:33:33,000 Speaker 1: Like like like you you're eating a fig, don't you 518 00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:34,920 Speaker 1: know that they have wasps in them, like like like 519 00:33:34,960 --> 00:33:39,080 Speaker 1: playground kind of taunt whoa in some places. So I 520 00:33:39,120 --> 00:33:41,560 Speaker 1: don't know, you know, my playground is very different than 521 00:33:41,560 --> 00:33:45,160 Speaker 1: the tut taunting game. But I mean, if it's enough 522 00:33:45,320 --> 00:33:47,560 Speaker 1: where I I certainly had never heard of it until 523 00:33:47,600 --> 00:33:50,360 Speaker 1: you mentioned it. But if it is enough for some 524 00:33:50,480 --> 00:33:55,960 Speaker 1: vegans avoid figs, well just do a little survey listeners. 525 00:33:55,960 --> 00:33:57,800 Speaker 1: You should let us know if this was a surprise 526 00:33:57,880 --> 00:34:02,160 Speaker 1: to you, you've you've no it for years. But that 527 00:34:02,200 --> 00:34:05,320 Speaker 1: brings us to the end of the fig episode and 528 00:34:05,440 --> 00:34:14,560 Speaker 1: to listen, it was kind of a scary one. Abby wrote. 529 00:34:15,320 --> 00:34:19,160 Speaker 1: I worked at a McDonald's from two thousand five, so 530 00:34:19,239 --> 00:34:22,919 Speaker 1: I have tons of stories and info. I was there 531 00:34:22,960 --> 00:34:28,720 Speaker 1: when Disney's Hercules came out and we featured cent triple cheeseburgers. 532 00:34:29,120 --> 00:34:32,960 Speaker 1: They were a nightmare. Customers would order them by the dozens. 533 00:34:33,920 --> 00:34:36,319 Speaker 1: I was also there when A Bug's Life came out 534 00:34:36,320 --> 00:34:39,160 Speaker 1: and McDonald's made an apple cinnamon sauce for chicken nuggets. 535 00:34:39,520 --> 00:34:43,239 Speaker 1: Aside note for me, why all right, let's continue. The 536 00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:46,360 Speaker 1: sauce tasted terrible with the nuggets. That was quite delicious 537 00:34:46,360 --> 00:34:49,279 Speaker 1: on a biscuit. As far as our creativity We would 538 00:34:49,280 --> 00:34:51,319 Speaker 1: mix the barbecue sauce and honey and then pour it 539 00:34:51,360 --> 00:34:54,240 Speaker 1: over chopped grilled chicken to then put over a salad 540 00:34:54,360 --> 00:34:57,160 Speaker 1: or a wrap in a tortilla. It would also make 541 00:34:57,239 --> 00:34:59,839 Speaker 1: apple pie a la mode, and what I called poor 542 00:35:00,040 --> 00:35:04,919 Speaker 1: Man's mocha. This was this was pretty cafe, a pump 543 00:35:05,040 --> 00:35:08,239 Speaker 1: or two of fudge chopped with coffee, then with enough 544 00:35:08,320 --> 00:35:11,359 Speaker 1: milk to cool it down to drinkable levels. We would 545 00:35:11,360 --> 00:35:13,640 Speaker 1: also take the frozen sweet and strawberries and blueberries that 546 00:35:13,640 --> 00:35:15,520 Speaker 1: are used for the yogat preface and mix him into 547 00:35:15,520 --> 00:35:18,800 Speaker 1: ice cream. That sounds good. My last McDonald's story involves 548 00:35:18,840 --> 00:35:21,680 Speaker 1: how the teenagers I worked with referred to the beef patties. 549 00:35:22,160 --> 00:35:25,120 Speaker 1: Corporate called it regg meat, a regular meat for the 550 00:35:25,160 --> 00:35:27,640 Speaker 1: fifteen to one patties, that is, fifteen patties to one 551 00:35:27,640 --> 00:35:31,080 Speaker 1: pound of beef, and quarter meat for the four to one. However, 552 00:35:31,120 --> 00:35:33,759 Speaker 1: in our store we called it big meat and little meat. 553 00:35:34,360 --> 00:35:38,520 Speaker 1: That makes sense to me, Attie, absolutely. I just love 554 00:35:38,640 --> 00:35:42,480 Speaker 1: these these movie tie ins that I like. I said, 555 00:35:42,480 --> 00:35:44,400 Speaker 1: I haven't eaten McDonald's and forever, but I was. She 556 00:35:44,440 --> 00:35:46,640 Speaker 1: also the toys and I do remember the Hercules thing. 557 00:35:47,920 --> 00:35:50,640 Speaker 1: Oh it's so strange. Yeah, I feel like the hades 558 00:35:50,680 --> 00:35:52,640 Speaker 1: had little wheels on the bottom. I think it did. 559 00:35:52,719 --> 00:35:56,080 Speaker 1: I think it did. But why did they do triple 560 00:35:56,160 --> 00:35:59,480 Speaker 1: cheeseburgers for Hercules? Maybe for the three Muses or something 561 00:35:59,880 --> 00:36:05,560 Speaker 1: the chorus lady yeah, I'm My only thought was, you know, 562 00:36:05,680 --> 00:36:13,319 Speaker 1: eat like like Hercules? Lots of Okay, many questions. Uh 563 00:36:13,600 --> 00:36:17,279 Speaker 1: Yogi wrote in about our bagel episode. In my athletic days, 564 00:36:17,320 --> 00:36:20,160 Speaker 1: we would car bload before games, and bagels were often 565 00:36:20,200 --> 00:36:23,239 Speaker 1: a significant source of that car bloating, especially from a 566 00:36:23,320 --> 00:36:26,520 Speaker 1: place called the Royal Flush Bakery and Deli. They had 567 00:36:26,520 --> 00:36:30,120 Speaker 1: bagels of different sizes categorized by playing card names. Many 568 00:36:30,120 --> 00:36:32,920 Speaker 1: bagels were Jack's, regular bagels were Queens, and then they 569 00:36:32,920 --> 00:36:35,560 Speaker 1: had a giant bagel about the size of a frisbee 570 00:36:36,280 --> 00:36:39,000 Speaker 1: called the King. I think the owner may have had 571 00:36:39,040 --> 00:36:42,279 Speaker 1: issues with gambling, now that I think about it. The 572 00:36:42,400 --> 00:36:45,480 Speaker 1: King was about four or five inches thick of super 573 00:36:45,680 --> 00:36:49,160 Speaker 1: chewy delight. One of the favorites before games and power 574 00:36:49,200 --> 00:36:52,600 Speaker 1: lifting competitions would be a bagel sandwich. That would probably 575 00:36:52,719 --> 00:36:55,160 Speaker 1: enrage any bagel purist, but it was pretty much the 576 00:36:55,160 --> 00:36:58,919 Speaker 1: holy grail to us high school idiot kid athletes called 577 00:36:58,960 --> 00:37:01,800 Speaker 1: the Royal Flush. It was pretty much a Dogwood style 578 00:37:01,960 --> 00:37:05,960 Speaker 1: sandwich and was a sliced everything king bagel piled high 579 00:37:06,000 --> 00:37:10,640 Speaker 1: with pastrami, corned beef, turkey, fried chicken, breast, pork belly, brisket, 580 00:37:10,760 --> 00:37:15,200 Speaker 1: roast ducks, Swiss provolone, and aged white cheddar. It also 581 00:37:16,160 --> 00:37:20,200 Speaker 1: had lettuce, tomato, pickle spears, and a homemade garlic pepper 582 00:37:20,280 --> 00:37:23,719 Speaker 1: a ali everything made in house. I am six ft 583 00:37:23,760 --> 00:37:26,960 Speaker 1: six and this thing was bigger than my head. This 584 00:37:27,080 --> 00:37:30,120 Speaker 1: beast was served on a pizza pan with a mountain 585 00:37:30,120 --> 00:37:33,759 Speaker 1: of steak fries, onion rings, and a tub of jew 586 00:37:34,280 --> 00:37:39,279 Speaker 1: for dipping. We would pile into this place each order 587 00:37:39,320 --> 00:37:42,120 Speaker 1: the Royal Flesh and do our best shaggy and Scooby 588 00:37:42,160 --> 00:37:45,439 Speaker 1: impression to get that Frankenstein's monster of a sandwich into 589 00:37:45,440 --> 00:37:48,239 Speaker 1: our gaping maws. It was a glorious mess, and I 590 00:37:48,320 --> 00:37:51,960 Speaker 1: finished with every bite making me feel closer to Nirvana 591 00:37:52,160 --> 00:37:56,480 Speaker 1: and diabetes. Anyway, the bagel cast just brought back those memories, 592 00:37:56,520 --> 00:37:59,239 Speaker 1: and with all the talk of bagel sacrilege, I thought 593 00:37:59,280 --> 00:38:03,600 Speaker 1: this would be a good story to share. It was yes, oh, 594 00:38:03,640 --> 00:38:05,879 Speaker 1: thank you, that does sound. I feel like I would 595 00:38:05,880 --> 00:38:07,480 Speaker 1: get through about three and a half bites. But that 596 00:38:07,520 --> 00:38:10,920 Speaker 1: sounds I shouldn't imagine biting into it. Well, I meant 597 00:38:11,000 --> 00:38:13,799 Speaker 1: like with a knife and fork or like chainsaw, like 598 00:38:13,840 --> 00:38:18,880 Speaker 1: whatever is appropriate. The situation a chainsaw bagel situation. When 599 00:38:18,920 --> 00:38:22,040 Speaker 1: I was reading at first all the stuff on it 600 00:38:22,239 --> 00:38:24,680 Speaker 1: fried chicken breast is where I was like what, and 601 00:38:24,719 --> 00:38:29,480 Speaker 1: then it just kept going and going. That is indeed 602 00:38:29,520 --> 00:38:32,560 Speaker 1: the everything bagel it is. Oh man, it sounds it 603 00:38:32,600 --> 00:38:35,480 Speaker 1: sounds so good though it's Yeah, it does sound very good. 604 00:38:35,480 --> 00:38:37,600 Speaker 1: And y'all do whatever you want with your bagels man, 605 00:38:37,760 --> 00:38:39,680 Speaker 1: Like I mean, you know, just because I have opinions 606 00:38:39,680 --> 00:38:41,560 Speaker 1: about it doesn't mean you shouldn't do what you want 607 00:38:41,600 --> 00:38:44,600 Speaker 1: to have your own opinions. Yeah, definitely, that's the beauty 608 00:38:44,640 --> 00:38:49,440 Speaker 1: of bagel opinions. Yes. And in fact, if you do, uh, 609 00:38:49,920 --> 00:38:51,360 Speaker 1: you can you can write to us. I think they 610 00:38:51,480 --> 00:38:53,560 Speaker 1: think these think these find humans for writing to us, 611 00:38:53,560 --> 00:38:56,400 Speaker 1: But if you you would like to, you can do so. 612 00:38:56,880 --> 00:38:59,279 Speaker 1: Our email is food Stuff at how stuff works at 613 00:38:59,360 --> 00:39:02,359 Speaker 1: dot com. We're also on social media. You can find 614 00:39:02,480 --> 00:39:05,840 Speaker 1: us at food stuff hs W on Facebook and Twitter. 615 00:39:06,080 --> 00:39:10,120 Speaker 1: We're also on Instagram at food stuff. Uh. We hope 616 00:39:10,160 --> 00:39:12,359 Speaker 1: to hear from you, Thank you so much to our 617 00:39:12,560 --> 00:39:19,520 Speaker 1: super producer Dylan Fagin, who looks surprised and honored. He 618 00:39:19,560 --> 00:39:24,160 Speaker 1: didn't know he was here. Thanks to y'all for listening, 619 00:39:24,200 --> 00:39:26,320 Speaker 1: and we hope that lots more good things are coming 620 00:39:26,320 --> 00:39:26,680 Speaker 1: your way.