1 00:00:08,920 --> 00:00:11,600 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to Savor Protection of iHeartRadio. I'm Annie 2 00:00:11,600 --> 00:00:12,600 Speaker 1: Reese and I'm more. 3 00:00:12,440 --> 00:00:15,680 Speaker 2: In Vogelbaum, and today we have a classic episode for 4 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:17,200 Speaker 2: you about figs. 5 00:00:18,079 --> 00:00:21,919 Speaker 3: Yes, yes, any recent figs were on your mind. 6 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:25,480 Speaker 2: It was just in the episode rotation. I guess I 7 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:28,800 Speaker 2: was looking for a fruit and or vegetable or a 8 00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:32,640 Speaker 2: protein at the time when I was planning this out, 9 00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:34,559 Speaker 2: and so I was kind of just looking through the 10 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:38,479 Speaker 2: list and figs seemed like a great episode, and I 11 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:40,040 Speaker 2: gave it a listen, and I was like, that was 12 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:43,479 Speaker 2: a great episode. We got to talk a lot about 13 00:00:43,479 --> 00:00:46,240 Speaker 2: fig wasps, which is one of my favorite subjects. 14 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:49,600 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, I remember that was one of the first 15 00:00:49,640 --> 00:00:51,920 Speaker 1: things I remember you talking about when we were mentioning, 16 00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:53,479 Speaker 1: like maybe we should do this food. 17 00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:55,560 Speaker 2: Show and big Wasp came up and I was like, yes, 18 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:01,440 Speaker 2: like nature is really weird, let's talk about it. 19 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:03,000 Speaker 3: Yeah. 20 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:07,600 Speaker 2: I have no news updates about figs to share with anyone, 21 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:09,360 Speaker 2: although I think this was one of the foods that 22 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:11,119 Speaker 2: you weren't sure if you had ever had a fresh 23 00:01:11,160 --> 00:01:14,800 Speaker 2: fig when we recorded this. Have you since then? Since 24 00:01:14,920 --> 00:01:19,399 Speaker 2: March of twenty eighteen, Annie achieved a fig. 25 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:21,960 Speaker 1: This sounds like such a like I'm in the hot seat, 26 00:01:22,040 --> 00:01:28,920 Speaker 1: I'm in the gotcha have you I have? Oh yeah, yes, 27 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:31,679 Speaker 1: I believe I mentioned in this episode. I have a 28 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 1: friend who loves figs. She came through. 29 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:38,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, oh great, fairly recently. 30 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:41,840 Speaker 1: We went well, fairly recently. Time is so relative now 31 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:44,080 Speaker 1: like a year ago. Okay, it's fairly recent. 32 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:47,520 Speaker 3: We went on a trip and she had she brought 33 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:52,360 Speaker 3: fresh figs. Oh it was really good. I really liked it. Yeah. 34 00:01:52,480 --> 00:01:55,400 Speaker 2: Oh no, they're lovely, right man, I think, like I 35 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:58,080 Speaker 2: think I basically missed fig season this past year. So 36 00:01:58,120 --> 00:01:59,640 Speaker 2: I'm gonna have to pay attention. I'm gonna have to 37 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:02,600 Speaker 2: pay more tension this year and get them on. They're fresh, 38 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:05,720 Speaker 2: because oh they're so good. They're just so nice. It 39 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:08,000 Speaker 2: goes so nice, so well with just like with like 40 00:02:08,040 --> 00:02:12,080 Speaker 2: a nice cheese or just pigs. 41 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:12,120 Speaker 3: I don't know. 42 00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 2: Yeah. 43 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:15,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, and they pack a lot, They pack a lot flavor. 44 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:17,800 Speaker 1: They do in a small package. 45 00:02:18,639 --> 00:02:21,600 Speaker 3: M mmmm. Well, here's my update. 46 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:24,760 Speaker 2: Excellent, no good, good update, thanks. 47 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 3: Thank you. 48 00:02:28,040 --> 00:02:31,799 Speaker 1: But I suppose we should get into this classic episode. 49 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:46,799 Speaker 1: So let's let pass Annie and Lauren take it away. Hello, 50 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:48,079 Speaker 1: and a kind of food stuff. 51 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:51,040 Speaker 2: I'm Annie reach and I'm Lauren vocal Bam and today 52 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:52,440 Speaker 2: we're talking about figs. 53 00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:55,639 Speaker 3: And Lauren is very excited to talk about figs. 54 00:02:55,840 --> 00:03:00,160 Speaker 2: Yes, mostly because of insects. Yes, but we'll get to 55 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:00,680 Speaker 2: that later. 56 00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:03,359 Speaker 3: It's kind of a horror. It reminds me of Alien 57 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:04,040 Speaker 3: a little bit. 58 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:08,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's definitely it gets real weird. I hope you're 59 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:10,520 Speaker 2: looking forward to it as much as I am. 60 00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:14,720 Speaker 3: But first, figs, Yeah, what are they? 61 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:18,919 Speaker 2: They're both the fruit and the flower of a tree, 62 00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:22,200 Speaker 2: like a small tree or large shrub in the Ficus genus. 63 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:24,680 Speaker 2: If you've never seen one, A fig is maybe the 64 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:27,280 Speaker 2: size of like a pingpong ball, but tear drop shaped. 65 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:30,320 Speaker 2: They have a thin, edible skin that may be yellowish 66 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:34,239 Speaker 2: green or purplish, purple or brown or even black, encasing 67 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:39,760 Speaker 2: a pale, pulpy lining, and many many wee orangish or 68 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:43,800 Speaker 2: reddish florrets and yellow seeds. Every fig that you eat 69 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:48,560 Speaker 2: contains dozens or even thousands of flowers and seeds. Figs 70 00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:50,800 Speaker 2: taste very sweet and a little bit like green grassy, 71 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:53,200 Speaker 2: and have this interesting soft, sort of silky, sort of 72 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:56,080 Speaker 2: crunchy texture from all of those florets and seeds. 73 00:03:56,440 --> 00:03:59,920 Speaker 3: Hmm. I'm to say, I don't have much experience with figs. 74 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:00,240 Speaker 2: No. 75 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:04,080 Speaker 1: No, I've probably had like maybe four in my lifetime, 76 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 1: fresh dried, both fresh fresh figs and then fig jam huh. 77 00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:15,880 Speaker 1: But I have a friend who is a fiend for figs. 78 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:18,120 Speaker 1: She'll ask me if she's coming up with should I 79 00:04:18,120 --> 00:04:21,960 Speaker 1: bring figs? And I always say yes, if you want them. 80 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:24,159 Speaker 2: Well, it's one of those scarcity things because now they 81 00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:27,240 Speaker 2: are only only good for like a very brief time 82 00:04:27,279 --> 00:04:29,960 Speaker 2: period and they don't ship well. So right, the fresh 83 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:31,480 Speaker 2: ones are hard to get a hold of. The dried 84 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:32,680 Speaker 2: ones are kind of everywhere. 85 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:35,520 Speaker 3: I'll have to keep an eye out for them. Yeah. 86 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:38,000 Speaker 1: And there are hundreds of types of figs aside from 87 00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:43,360 Speaker 1: the common fig Ficus karica. And for added fig confusion, 88 00:04:43,839 --> 00:04:46,039 Speaker 1: when a type of fig is introduced or discovered in 89 00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:48,240 Speaker 1: a new country, a lot of times they give it 90 00:04:48,279 --> 00:04:51,440 Speaker 1: a different name, meaning one fig could go by several 91 00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:53,840 Speaker 1: different titles depending on where you are. 92 00:04:54,480 --> 00:04:58,239 Speaker 2: They're related to Indian banyan trees and Indian rubber trees, 93 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:03,039 Speaker 2: are both also in the genus the latter. Ficus benjamina 94 00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:07,120 Speaker 2: is a producer of natural latex rubber or rubber latex 95 00:05:07,200 --> 00:05:10,320 Speaker 2: rather as a sort of sap and fig trees and 96 00:05:10,400 --> 00:05:13,800 Speaker 2: fig fruits also contain latex, which is useful for many things, 97 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:16,159 Speaker 2: but can also be an irritant. If you've ever felt 98 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:18,800 Speaker 2: like a little bit of itch or burn on on 99 00:05:18,839 --> 00:05:20,880 Speaker 2: your mouth or lips while you're eating a fig, that's 100 00:05:20,920 --> 00:05:21,360 Speaker 2: what's up. 101 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:21,760 Speaker 3: Huh. 102 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:24,960 Speaker 1: Figs are native to a stretch of land that spans 103 00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:27,640 Speaker 1: from Turkey to northern India, but you can find them 104 00:05:27,720 --> 00:05:31,400 Speaker 1: growing in a majority of the Mediterranean countries as well. 105 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:34,200 Speaker 1: They also grow anywhere with a climate that's on par 106 00:05:34,360 --> 00:05:37,920 Speaker 1: with the Mediterranean, like Chile, Australia, South Africa, and parts 107 00:05:37,960 --> 00:05:42,760 Speaker 1: of the US. In South Africa's Vonderboom Nature Reserve, there's 108 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:46,320 Speaker 1: a large grove of one thousand plus year old parent 109 00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:50,559 Speaker 1: daughter fig trees encompassing a fifty meter or one hundred 110 00:05:50,560 --> 00:05:53,719 Speaker 1: and sixty four feet area. Surrounding the mother fig are 111 00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:56,800 Speaker 1: three layers of daughter trees, a total of thirteen trunks. 112 00:05:57,040 --> 00:05:59,640 Speaker 1: The branches of the doughter trees, with time of sag 113 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:03,159 Speaker 1: to the ground and form roots for new trees. Oh wow, yeah, 114 00:06:03,200 --> 00:06:06,360 Speaker 1: and attached around the mother tree. It's really beautiful and 115 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:08,920 Speaker 1: quite huge. It looks like something out of the Lion King. 116 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:11,360 Speaker 3: Oh, look it up if you're interested. 117 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 1: The name fig derives from the Latin word ficus and 118 00:06:16,200 --> 00:06:20,239 Speaker 1: the Hebrew word feg. It most likely was first used 119 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:23,640 Speaker 1: when the Romans invaded England, as that was the first 120 00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:26,719 Speaker 1: time the English would have seen fig trees. It was 121 00:06:26,720 --> 00:06:30,400 Speaker 1: widely adopted for general commercial use by twelve fifty CE. 122 00:06:30,640 --> 00:06:35,960 Speaker 2: There are also a number of figurative terms around the fig. 123 00:06:36,480 --> 00:06:40,760 Speaker 2: There's a Greco Roman and or Shakespearean English use of 124 00:06:40,760 --> 00:06:44,719 Speaker 2: the word fig as vulgar slang for the word vulva oh, 125 00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:46,840 Speaker 2: apparently from the look of a ripe fig that's been 126 00:06:46,880 --> 00:06:51,680 Speaker 2: split open. And there's also an accompanying gesture which still 127 00:06:51,720 --> 00:06:55,120 Speaker 2: carries a slightly vulgar connotation, wherein you put your your 128 00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:58,200 Speaker 2: thumb tip either between your two middle fingers when you're 129 00:06:58,200 --> 00:07:02,560 Speaker 2: making a fist oh no, or the tip of your 130 00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:06,200 Speaker 2: thumb between your teeth, or like up against your your 131 00:07:06,279 --> 00:07:09,920 Speaker 2: upper teeth. This totally happens in Romeo and Juliet. In 132 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:12,840 Speaker 2: the opening sequence, one of the capulets mocks some of 133 00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:18,360 Speaker 2: the Montagues by biting his thumb at them, Sir yeah man, rough. 134 00:07:18,320 --> 00:07:20,320 Speaker 1: Every time I find out about some of these I've 135 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:23,600 Speaker 1: rapidly brushed through times in my life. I've probably done 136 00:07:23,600 --> 00:07:26,400 Speaker 1: it and offended someone or either just been the source 137 00:07:26,440 --> 00:07:27,120 Speaker 1: of laughter. 138 00:07:30,880 --> 00:07:34,760 Speaker 2: That's probably more it, I don't think anyway. There's also 139 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:38,200 Speaker 2: a sense of the word fig as in a full fig, 140 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:43,280 Speaker 2: as in a full state of dress or preparedness, perhaps 141 00:07:43,280 --> 00:07:47,680 Speaker 2: either from the abbreviation fig from figure used in illustration 142 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:50,720 Speaker 2: plates and old books, or from Adam and Eves fig. 143 00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:53,320 Speaker 3: Leaves could be either, who knows. 144 00:07:54,080 --> 00:07:56,800 Speaker 1: As far as nutrition goes, figs have a high fiber 145 00:07:56,880 --> 00:08:01,400 Speaker 1: and calcium content and decent amounts of potassium, iron, polyphenols, 146 00:08:01,440 --> 00:08:02,880 Speaker 1: and flavonoids, so. 147 00:08:02,880 --> 00:08:06,000 Speaker 2: They're nutritious ish. They also contain a lot of sugar, 148 00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:08,200 Speaker 2: about five times as much sugar as fiber. 149 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:09,640 Speaker 3: Yes, they have. 150 00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:13,400 Speaker 1: Been and still are used medicinally as well, especially as 151 00:08:13,440 --> 00:08:16,760 Speaker 1: a laxative, are a diuretic, and as a care for boils. 152 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:19,800 Speaker 1: Oh As of two thousand and five, Turkey produced the 153 00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:22,160 Speaker 1: most figs, with Egypt holding the second spot. 154 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:24,280 Speaker 3: Since figs both don't keep. 155 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:26,760 Speaker 1: Very long, as Lauren mentioned, after you pick them and 156 00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:29,760 Speaker 1: they don't do so great and they're being transported, a 157 00:08:29,760 --> 00:08:32,360 Speaker 1: lot of the commercial fig products involves some type of 158 00:08:32,400 --> 00:08:36,920 Speaker 1: processing like dried figs or jam. Worldwide production is about 159 00:08:36,920 --> 00:08:39,920 Speaker 1: a million metric tons per year, and the fig is 160 00:08:39,960 --> 00:08:42,520 Speaker 1: such a common food in the Mediterranean that has earned 161 00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:45,960 Speaker 1: the title the poor man's food. I hear in England 162 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:49,840 Speaker 1: there's a saying I don't give a fig. Please write 163 00:08:49,880 --> 00:08:52,760 Speaker 1: in to confirm people from England listening. 164 00:08:53,840 --> 00:08:56,960 Speaker 2: In the United States, California grows about ninety eight percent 165 00:08:57,000 --> 00:08:59,960 Speaker 2: of our figs as of twenty twelve, About ninety four 166 00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:03,240 Speaker 2: percent of those were grown again to be dried or 167 00:09:03,280 --> 00:09:04,280 Speaker 2: otherwise processed. 168 00:09:04,600 --> 00:09:05,840 Speaker 3: Wow. Yeah. 169 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:09,480 Speaker 2: Figs can be picked and packed fresh in the field 170 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:12,320 Speaker 2: by hand or left to dry on their trees, and 171 00:09:12,360 --> 00:09:15,839 Speaker 2: then treated and sometimes pressed to produce dried figs and 172 00:09:16,080 --> 00:09:18,920 Speaker 2: then later processed into other stuff. It takes about four 173 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:21,640 Speaker 2: pounds of fresh figs to produce one pound. 174 00:09:21,480 --> 00:09:24,440 Speaker 3: Of dried Okay, I got a question for you before 175 00:09:24,480 --> 00:09:28,520 Speaker 3: we continue. Yeah, have you had a lot of dried 176 00:09:28,559 --> 00:09:29,360 Speaker 3: figs in your day? 177 00:09:29,679 --> 00:09:31,280 Speaker 2: I guess I have. Yeah. I was kind of big 178 00:09:31,320 --> 00:09:33,280 Speaker 2: on them as a snack for a while there. I was. 179 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:35,240 Speaker 2: I was doing a lot of like trail mix kind 180 00:09:35,240 --> 00:09:37,160 Speaker 2: of things because it was only the only way that 181 00:09:37,160 --> 00:09:41,520 Speaker 2: I could responsibly get myself to eat like not potato chips. 182 00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:45,839 Speaker 3: Okay, okay, so maybe I'm just trying to figure out 183 00:09:46,080 --> 00:09:48,880 Speaker 3: as someone who has very little experience. 184 00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:52,520 Speaker 1: Are they mostly eaten just a laon or in trail 185 00:09:52,559 --> 00:09:55,680 Speaker 1: mixes and salads like dried figs specifically? 186 00:09:55,800 --> 00:09:57,959 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, I think that they're they're often because they're 187 00:09:57,960 --> 00:10:00,160 Speaker 2: they're pretty large. They're again like about the size a 188 00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:02,800 Speaker 2: ping pong baller, maybe a little bit smaller, so are 189 00:10:02,800 --> 00:10:04,800 Speaker 2: they can be some of them are a little bit tinier, 190 00:10:04,840 --> 00:10:08,160 Speaker 2: like like a like a large fresh grape guys. So 191 00:10:08,160 --> 00:10:12,760 Speaker 2: so they're they're frequently cut into pieces or or chopped 192 00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:16,200 Speaker 2: up and then maybe put into baked goods or used 193 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:19,520 Speaker 2: as a as a sugar substitute in jam form okay 194 00:10:19,880 --> 00:10:23,440 Speaker 2: or yeah, yeah, fresh figs definitely are used a lot. 195 00:10:24,280 --> 00:10:27,199 Speaker 2: My favorite way to eat fresh figs is on pizza. 196 00:10:27,559 --> 00:10:33,400 Speaker 4: Oh hey, yeah, it's ludicrously delicious, but but yeah, they're 197 00:10:33,400 --> 00:10:35,800 Speaker 4: They're really good with a with like a sprinkle of balsamic, 198 00:10:35,880 --> 00:10:39,359 Speaker 4: on top of a salad or just. 199 00:10:39,080 --> 00:10:41,120 Speaker 2: Just about any way you want to eat them. Okay, 200 00:10:41,480 --> 00:10:43,480 Speaker 2: I'm a big fig fan is as well. 201 00:10:43,640 --> 00:10:47,240 Speaker 1: Okay, okay, awesome, I just wanted to, you know, pick 202 00:10:47,280 --> 00:10:47,680 Speaker 1: your brain. 203 00:10:47,720 --> 00:10:49,120 Speaker 2: That's Annie's question of. 204 00:10:49,080 --> 00:10:52,240 Speaker 3: The episode for Lauren. All right, please continue. Okay. 205 00:10:52,960 --> 00:10:56,320 Speaker 2: The leaves, aside from adorning, Adam and Eve, can be 206 00:10:56,400 --> 00:10:59,680 Speaker 2: used for cattle feed or processed by the perfume industry 207 00:10:59,720 --> 00:11:06,480 Speaker 2: to cate like a woody mossy smelling absolute. 208 00:11:04,440 --> 00:11:05,760 Speaker 3: Okay, is that like for men? 209 00:11:06,240 --> 00:11:10,280 Speaker 2: This is another question for anyone. I suppose I'm just wondering, 210 00:11:10,360 --> 00:11:12,240 Speaker 2: you know, depends on what you want to smell like. 211 00:11:12,360 --> 00:11:13,920 Speaker 3: Okay, Yeah, that's true. 212 00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:17,640 Speaker 2: And the latex from fig plants can be used in 213 00:11:17,720 --> 00:11:21,280 Speaker 2: place of rennett to coagulate milk and create cheeses. 214 00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:24,160 Speaker 3: Wow. Yeah, that's fascinating. 215 00:11:24,679 --> 00:11:28,480 Speaker 2: As of twenty fifteen, the global fig export market was 216 00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:32,120 Speaker 2: valued around four hundred and twenty nine million dollars, though 217 00:11:32,160 --> 00:11:34,600 Speaker 2: that's probably only a fraction of the value of the 218 00:11:34,640 --> 00:11:39,120 Speaker 2: total production market of figs, as many figs are consumed domestically. Peru, 219 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:42,959 Speaker 2: for example, only exports some three percent of its fig production, 220 00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:49,439 Speaker 2: and it's about the largest producer in South America. And 221 00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:51,480 Speaker 2: he looked down as though she would find they'd like 222 00:11:51,559 --> 00:11:54,959 Speaker 2: like the answers to why Peru does this in our notes. 223 00:11:54,600 --> 00:11:58,520 Speaker 1: Alas, I didn't know. However, there is an anonymous pumpkin. 224 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:00,640 Speaker 1: In our outline, there is if. 225 00:12:00,559 --> 00:12:02,880 Speaker 2: You're the anonymous pumpkin, let our know, let us know, Yes, 226 00:12:02,920 --> 00:12:07,800 Speaker 2: please do. There's also here an ad break, after which 227 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:13,120 Speaker 2: we will continue into the history, the long, long history 228 00:12:13,320 --> 00:12:15,640 Speaker 2: of this amazing fruit slash flower. 229 00:12:26,280 --> 00:12:28,439 Speaker 3: And we're back. Thank you, sponsor, Yes. 230 00:12:28,320 --> 00:12:34,439 Speaker 2: Thank you. So our pre human ancestors probably eight wild figs. 231 00:12:34,480 --> 00:12:39,800 Speaker 2: Researchers think this because chimpanzees in some areas make figs 232 00:12:39,880 --> 00:12:42,199 Speaker 2: essentially their entire diet for a couple months out of 233 00:12:42,200 --> 00:12:42,520 Speaker 2: the year. 234 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:45,880 Speaker 3: Oh really yeah, a diet of figs. Yeah. 235 00:12:46,040 --> 00:12:48,760 Speaker 1: In either case, figs are one of the first fruits 236 00:12:48,800 --> 00:12:53,280 Speaker 1: primitive humans cultivated. Nine fossilized figs found in the Jordan 237 00:12:53,400 --> 00:12:56,960 Speaker 1: Valley near Jericho suggest cultivation may go as far back 238 00:12:57,280 --> 00:13:01,800 Speaker 1: as nine four hundred BCEO. If this is true, it 239 00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:04,959 Speaker 1: makes figs one of the first, if not the very first, 240 00:13:05,480 --> 00:13:10,120 Speaker 1: known case of agriculture. And some historians, as we've sort 241 00:13:10,160 --> 00:13:13,000 Speaker 1: of hinted at and mentioned in other episodes, think that 242 00:13:13,040 --> 00:13:15,960 Speaker 1: instead of the apple or the banana, as we said 243 00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:19,520 Speaker 1: in Banana episode, the fig was the fruit. 244 00:13:19,400 --> 00:13:22,480 Speaker 3: Used to tempt Eve in the Garden of Eden. Ah. Yeah, 245 00:13:22,480 --> 00:13:25,280 Speaker 3: and at the very least fig leaves were used as 246 00:13:25,280 --> 00:13:28,560 Speaker 3: their covering of choice, so it would make sense this 247 00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:30,920 Speaker 3: use of fig leaves in the place of loin cloths 248 00:13:31,040 --> 00:13:34,560 Speaker 3: pops up in several famous and not so famous artworks 249 00:13:34,559 --> 00:13:37,160 Speaker 3: throughout history. Sometimes these fig. 250 00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:40,880 Speaker 1: Leaf coverings were added after the piece was finished to 251 00:13:40,960 --> 00:13:46,360 Speaker 1: appease the delicate sensibilities of art collectors. Heaven forbid, I 252 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:48,720 Speaker 1: see anything that I cannot handle. 253 00:13:49,760 --> 00:13:50,920 Speaker 3: These fig leaves. 254 00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:54,520 Speaker 2: Over fig leaf blinders. 255 00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:59,440 Speaker 1: Yes, perfect, yes, outside of loin cough substitutes. The Bible 256 00:13:59,440 --> 00:14:03,280 Speaker 1: references the fig a handful of times. One quote each 257 00:14:03,400 --> 00:14:06,800 Speaker 1: man under his own vine and fig tree has since 258 00:14:06,840 --> 00:14:11,000 Speaker 1: been used to mean peace and prosperity. One fig, the 259 00:14:11,040 --> 00:14:17,160 Speaker 1: picus religiosa, or the sacred fig, holds religious significance in Buddhism, Hinduism, 260 00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:21,560 Speaker 1: and Jainism. Buddhist legend goes that Siddharta Gautama was sitting 261 00:14:21,680 --> 00:14:25,080 Speaker 1: under a sacred fig tree a bo or Bodhi tree 262 00:14:25,400 --> 00:14:26,560 Speaker 1: when he was enlightened. 263 00:14:27,040 --> 00:14:30,840 Speaker 2: Ancient Egyptian priests may have eaten figs at their consecration ceremonies. 264 00:14:31,320 --> 00:14:35,200 Speaker 1: In religions around the world, figs do symbolize peace, prosperity, 265 00:14:35,280 --> 00:14:39,000 Speaker 1: and fertility. The prophet Mohammad allegedly named the fig as 266 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:42,800 Speaker 1: the fruit he hoped most to find in Paradise. Oh yeah, 267 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:47,480 Speaker 1: big fan too. Figs probably originated in the northern part 268 00:14:47,520 --> 00:14:51,440 Speaker 1: of Asia. Minor records of figs used for food purposes 269 00:14:51,440 --> 00:14:55,000 Speaker 1: on ancient Sumerian tablets go back to twenty five hundred BCE. 270 00:14:56,040 --> 00:14:58,880 Speaker 1: From there they spread throughout the Mediterranean with the Romans 271 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:02,720 Speaker 1: and the Greeks. The diet of ancient Romans included a 272 00:15:02,760 --> 00:15:03,760 Speaker 1: decent amount of figs. 273 00:15:03,800 --> 00:15:08,080 Speaker 3: Are old. While Plenty wrote about twenty nine varieties. 274 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:11,720 Speaker 2: He had one hundred and eleven observations on figs. 275 00:15:11,760 --> 00:15:15,520 Speaker 1: In fact, I kind of want to read them, honestly, 276 00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:20,000 Speaker 1: one hundred and eleven. That's quite impressive. According to him, 277 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:22,680 Speaker 1: figs were a food staple for slaves in their place 278 00:15:22,720 --> 00:15:27,480 Speaker 1: of origin. He also wrote about its potential health benefits. 279 00:15:27,160 --> 00:15:30,840 Speaker 2: Including this fruit invigorates the young and improves the health 280 00:15:30,920 --> 00:15:33,920 Speaker 2: of the aged and retards the formation of wrinkles, and 281 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:39,360 Speaker 2: also mixed with axle grease. Fig milk removes wartz axle grease. 282 00:15:40,040 --> 00:15:42,560 Speaker 2: Not sure I A mystery of history. 283 00:15:44,520 --> 00:15:48,480 Speaker 1: In the Greek myth of Romulus and Remus, the brothers 284 00:15:48,640 --> 00:15:52,160 Speaker 1: twins were nursed by the she wolf under a fig tree, 285 00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:55,440 Speaker 1: and to convince the Roman Senate to go to war 286 00:15:55,520 --> 00:15:58,080 Speaker 1: for the third time with Carthage around one hundred and 287 00:15:58,080 --> 00:16:02,960 Speaker 1: fifty BCE, Cato the Elder brought to the debate a 288 00:16:03,040 --> 00:16:05,360 Speaker 1: handful of figs from Carthage as an. 289 00:16:05,280 --> 00:16:07,520 Speaker 3: Example of how close the threat was. 290 00:16:08,240 --> 00:16:11,320 Speaker 1: And it worked on two levels, because he also accused 291 00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:15,240 Speaker 1: the senators of being feminine, like the insides. 292 00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:15,200 Speaker 3: Of a fig. 293 00:16:15,400 --> 00:16:18,320 Speaker 2: Ah, I know, harsh, diss very. 294 00:16:18,400 --> 00:16:20,760 Speaker 3: I mean, come on, Kato, hate it when people call 295 00:16:20,800 --> 00:16:23,160 Speaker 3: me feminine? Yeah, it's the worst, right. 296 00:16:25,040 --> 00:16:27,520 Speaker 1: Ancient Greece enjoyed quite a bit of figs as well, 297 00:16:27,560 --> 00:16:30,040 Speaker 1: and the Spartans included it as an item at their 298 00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:34,000 Speaker 1: public tables and public tables if you're like me and 299 00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:37,240 Speaker 1: we're like who they were meals that were open to 300 00:16:37,320 --> 00:16:40,800 Speaker 1: everyone in certain groups. So I imagine like sorority dinners or 301 00:16:40,840 --> 00:16:45,680 Speaker 1: something is modern equivalent. It was another food that ancient 302 00:16:45,720 --> 00:16:49,760 Speaker 1: Greek olympians ate to improve performance. Figs even play a 303 00:16:49,840 --> 00:16:52,800 Speaker 1: role in Greek myth. The story goes that Apollo instructed 304 00:16:52,800 --> 00:16:55,840 Speaker 1: a crow to fetch him some water, but the crow 305 00:16:55,880 --> 00:16:58,360 Speaker 1: saw a fig tree and could not resist. Waiting around 306 00:16:58,400 --> 00:17:02,240 Speaker 1: in the branches for some sweets fruit to ripen. To 307 00:17:02,320 --> 00:17:05,479 Speaker 1: cover his tardiness and escape punishment, the crow scoops up 308 00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:07,879 Speaker 1: a snake along with some water from the stream and 309 00:17:07,920 --> 00:17:12,959 Speaker 1: blames the snake for his lateness. Apollo is not fooled, however, 310 00:17:13,119 --> 00:17:15,800 Speaker 1: for he is a god, and he hurls the snake, 311 00:17:16,080 --> 00:17:19,760 Speaker 1: the crow and the goblet. I guess the crow had 312 00:17:20,280 --> 00:17:24,439 Speaker 1: to collect water into the sky, forming the constellation's hydra, 313 00:17:24,680 --> 00:17:25,680 Speaker 1: corvus and crater. 314 00:17:26,000 --> 00:17:30,920 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, I have little stories like that. Yeah. Bacchus 315 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:33,520 Speaker 3: from Latin myth believed the fig was sacred and used 316 00:17:33,520 --> 00:17:40,600 Speaker 3: it ceremonially. Oh and here's another fun I love this. Yeah. Yeah. 317 00:17:40,640 --> 00:17:44,960 Speaker 3: In Greece, figs were known as sykes. I'm gonna get 318 00:17:45,040 --> 00:17:46,359 Speaker 3: six would make more sense. 319 00:17:46,440 --> 00:17:47,000 Speaker 2: Yes, there we go. 320 00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:49,719 Speaker 1: Sorry, it looks like sykes, but it is probably pronounced 321 00:17:49,760 --> 00:17:54,480 Speaker 1: six after ancient Greek city Sicion that was known for 322 00:17:54,560 --> 00:17:58,800 Speaker 1: its figs. Big fans of figs, the Athenians earned the 323 00:17:58,880 --> 00:18:04,600 Speaker 1: nickname sickle, which translated to fig revealers, and the word 324 00:18:04,640 --> 00:18:07,720 Speaker 1: came to mean slanderer in ancient Greek. Historians think this 325 00:18:07,840 --> 00:18:11,080 Speaker 1: is because of the tax imposed on figs brought to 326 00:18:11,240 --> 00:18:14,440 Speaker 1: markets by Greek farmers. Some farmers would try to skirt 327 00:18:14,520 --> 00:18:18,080 Speaker 1: the tax, and the farmers that snitched were called fig revealers. 328 00:18:18,119 --> 00:18:21,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, or it could come. 329 00:18:21,200 --> 00:18:23,720 Speaker 1: From another meaning of the word fig for a gesture 330 00:18:23,800 --> 00:18:26,080 Speaker 1: or sign of contempt what Lauren was talking about earlier. 331 00:18:26,560 --> 00:18:28,960 Speaker 1: It wasn't until English speakers adopted the word in the 332 00:18:28,960 --> 00:18:32,200 Speaker 1: sixteenth century that took on its current meaning of flat 333 00:18:32,320 --> 00:18:34,720 Speaker 1: or succah. 334 00:18:34,920 --> 00:18:38,399 Speaker 2: Dried figs were plentiful enough to sometimes replace bread in 335 00:18:38,440 --> 00:18:41,919 Speaker 2: the ancient Mediterranean. The Greeks also made fig wine and 336 00:18:41,920 --> 00:18:44,520 Speaker 2: would fatten geese on figs and then eat their livers 337 00:18:44,560 --> 00:18:47,760 Speaker 2: as a delicacy. Before sugar happened, figs were a common 338 00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:50,080 Speaker 2: way to sweeten and help preserve foods. 339 00:18:50,320 --> 00:18:53,919 Speaker 3: M written mention of figs and China traspect to the 340 00:18:53,920 --> 00:18:55,080 Speaker 3: eighth century CE. 341 00:18:55,600 --> 00:18:59,680 Speaker 1: The writer describes them as fruits without blossoms. They may 342 00:18:59,680 --> 00:19:02,960 Speaker 1: go back to one hundred and twenty seven CE, when 343 00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:05,760 Speaker 1: the Emperor put together an expedition to Central Asia, but 344 00:19:05,800 --> 00:19:08,800 Speaker 1: there is no definitive proof of that. 345 00:19:10,160 --> 00:19:11,600 Speaker 3: Figs were for sure. 346 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:14,000 Speaker 1: Growing in China by the fourteenth century CE, but they 347 00:19:14,119 --> 00:19:18,000 Speaker 1: may not have been the common fig we know in 348 00:19:18,040 --> 00:19:22,119 Speaker 1: the fifteen twenties, the Spanish and Portuguese missionaries to the 349 00:19:22,119 --> 00:19:24,560 Speaker 1: colonies and the New World began introducing fig trees in 350 00:19:24,600 --> 00:19:27,600 Speaker 1: the Caribbean and then later along the East coast of 351 00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:31,600 Speaker 1: North America. As mentioned, the top figs probably came to 352 00:19:31,640 --> 00:19:33,880 Speaker 1: England with the invading Romans, but the trees. 353 00:19:33,560 --> 00:19:35,399 Speaker 3: Died out after the Romans left. 354 00:19:35,720 --> 00:19:39,080 Speaker 1: They were reintroduced during the rule the Rule of Henry 355 00:19:39,119 --> 00:19:42,200 Speaker 1: the Eighth and records from fifteen forty eight described fig 356 00:19:42,240 --> 00:19:44,960 Speaker 1: trees being planted in England. A bit later in fifteen 357 00:19:45,040 --> 00:19:47,680 Speaker 1: ninety seven, descriptions say, and I'm kind of paraphrasing here 358 00:19:48,040 --> 00:19:50,680 Speaker 1: that fig trees never mature unless they are planted. They're 359 00:19:50,680 --> 00:19:56,400 Speaker 1: a hot wall. They're a hot wall, a hot wall. Okay, 360 00:19:56,800 --> 00:19:58,960 Speaker 1: I'm going to guess there's some temperature thing happening there, 361 00:19:59,080 --> 00:20:00,119 Speaker 1: sure U. 362 00:20:00,640 --> 00:20:04,240 Speaker 2: Spanish Franciscan missionaries brought fig trees to the West coast 363 00:20:04,280 --> 00:20:07,920 Speaker 2: of America beginning in seventeen sixty nine. This variety would 364 00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:12,879 Speaker 2: develop into the mission fig the mission fig missionaries Mission figs. 365 00:20:13,119 --> 00:20:14,320 Speaker 3: Yeah. 366 00:20:14,440 --> 00:20:17,560 Speaker 2: In the eighteen eighties, there was another variety introduced to 367 00:20:17,560 --> 00:20:20,760 Speaker 2: California that had a little bit more trouble. The Smyrna 368 00:20:20,800 --> 00:20:24,119 Speaker 2: fig for a decade. There were all of these cuttings 369 00:20:24,160 --> 00:20:27,280 Speaker 2: and seeds planted, but their fruit fell off the trees 370 00:20:27,320 --> 00:20:30,680 Speaker 2: without maturing. It was almost an international scandal. Folks were 371 00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:34,119 Speaker 2: all going, those Smartin's fooled us with lousy stocks, those Smirnins, 372 00:20:34,240 --> 00:20:37,720 Speaker 2: We should abandon this fig folly, not fig folly that 373 00:20:37,960 --> 00:20:41,000 Speaker 2: a writer literally wrote fig lovely in an article from 374 00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:44,119 Speaker 2: the time. But the farmers eventually worked it out, with 375 00:20:44,200 --> 00:20:48,280 Speaker 2: the particular perseverance and no little snark from one George c. 376 00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:52,240 Speaker 2: Roading of Fresno, who was in his family's fruit business. 377 00:20:52,240 --> 00:20:55,639 Speaker 2: There it would take ten years, multiple trips to Turkey, 378 00:20:56,160 --> 00:21:00,960 Speaker 2: painstaking experiments with hand pollination, and help from entomolaists before 379 00:21:00,960 --> 00:21:04,720 Speaker 2: they managed to get a good crop. And yes, entomologists. 380 00:21:05,040 --> 00:21:07,320 Speaker 2: They had to import not just the fig plants, but 381 00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:12,680 Speaker 2: the Blastophaga grosorum, a type of fig wasp, to pollinate 382 00:21:12,760 --> 00:21:16,320 Speaker 2: those figs. Ooh again with the insects. More on that 383 00:21:16,600 --> 00:21:19,080 Speaker 2: just a little bit later. Sufficed to say that it worked, 384 00:21:19,400 --> 00:21:22,600 Speaker 2: and the California fig industry was booming by the end 385 00:21:22,680 --> 00:21:24,840 Speaker 2: of the eighteen hundreds. 386 00:21:25,480 --> 00:21:31,360 Speaker 1: And then in eighteen ninety one, the fig Newton became 387 00:21:31,440 --> 00:21:35,840 Speaker 1: commercially available after cookie maker Charles M. Roser sold the 388 00:21:35,880 --> 00:21:38,600 Speaker 1: recipe to Nabisco, which at the time was called Kentucky 389 00:21:38,640 --> 00:21:39,760 Speaker 1: Biscuit Works. 390 00:21:40,200 --> 00:21:41,800 Speaker 3: If you don't know what these are, they. 391 00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:47,840 Speaker 1: Are short, rectangular soft cookies filled with fig jam I 392 00:21:47,920 --> 00:21:55,520 Speaker 1: kind of associate them with sad sadness. No no, no, no, 393 00:21:55,640 --> 00:21:58,960 Speaker 1: just like you're you're hoping for something better and side 394 00:21:58,960 --> 00:22:00,880 Speaker 1: of school lunch and. 395 00:22:00,280 --> 00:22:01,280 Speaker 2: And it's just a fake Newton. 396 00:22:01,359 --> 00:22:02,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, they're fine, they're fine. 397 00:22:02,840 --> 00:22:04,960 Speaker 2: I went through a big fag Newton fan. I still 398 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:06,320 Speaker 2: have a kind of nostalgia for them. 399 00:22:06,440 --> 00:22:08,560 Speaker 1: Oh, I did read a lot of people have a 400 00:22:08,560 --> 00:22:13,600 Speaker 1: nostalgia for them. The mass productions of these fig Newtons 401 00:22:13,720 --> 00:22:15,800 Speaker 1: was made possible with the invention of a machine that 402 00:22:15,840 --> 00:22:19,240 Speaker 1: operated sort of like having two funnels, one inside the other, 403 00:22:19,760 --> 00:22:22,359 Speaker 1: and through the bigger funnel went the dough and the 404 00:22:22,400 --> 00:22:26,679 Speaker 1: smaller funnel went the filling into one long cookie that 405 00:22:26,720 --> 00:22:28,240 Speaker 1: was cut into bite sized pieces. 406 00:22:28,359 --> 00:22:31,879 Speaker 2: Oh okay, yeah, a series of tubes, Yes, a series 407 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:32,639 Speaker 2: of tubes. 408 00:22:32,760 --> 00:22:34,320 Speaker 3: That's what the Internet is. That's what I hear. 409 00:22:35,080 --> 00:22:39,720 Speaker 1: First, the cookies were simply called Newton's. Allegedly, the machine's inventor, 410 00:22:39,960 --> 00:22:44,000 Speaker 1: James Henry Mitchell named the machine after physicist Isaac Newton, 411 00:22:44,480 --> 00:22:48,040 Speaker 1: but in actuality they were named after Newton, Massachusetts. 412 00:22:48,480 --> 00:22:49,640 Speaker 3: Yeah. 413 00:22:49,800 --> 00:22:51,600 Speaker 1: The fig part of the name was added a bit 414 00:22:51,680 --> 00:22:54,840 Speaker 1: later in response to the generally positive reaction to the 415 00:22:54,880 --> 00:23:01,360 Speaker 1: filling Yeah Newtons a FIG Jamboree. 416 00:23:00,040 --> 00:23:01,800 Speaker 3: Jeteen fifty one ad called it. 417 00:23:02,359 --> 00:23:05,720 Speaker 1: They were called cakes until a nineteen eighties rebrand advertised 418 00:23:05,760 --> 00:23:07,480 Speaker 1: them as chewy cookies. 419 00:23:08,280 --> 00:23:09,680 Speaker 3: In a bit of a funny twist. 420 00:23:09,840 --> 00:23:12,600 Speaker 1: The fig was dropped in twenty twelve, so they once 421 00:23:12,600 --> 00:23:18,240 Speaker 1: again are simply called Newton's Yeah, in part because figs 422 00:23:18,320 --> 00:23:22,000 Speaker 1: have an association with old people, right, Yeah, what's wrong 423 00:23:22,040 --> 00:23:27,000 Speaker 1: with that anyway? The write up for it says an 424 00:23:27,040 --> 00:23:30,480 Speaker 1: association with old people similar to prunes, and in part 425 00:23:30,600 --> 00:23:33,560 Speaker 1: because they come in different flavors. 426 00:23:33,560 --> 00:23:36,320 Speaker 3: That's one of the other reasons that the fake Newton's Yes, 427 00:23:36,560 --> 00:23:38,600 Speaker 3: not the old people. They are not similar to prunes. 428 00:23:38,680 --> 00:23:38,760 Speaker 2: No. 429 00:23:41,119 --> 00:23:44,320 Speaker 1: Consumers surveyed about the fig part of FIG Newton's described 430 00:23:44,359 --> 00:23:49,119 Speaker 1: them as two laxative em That is not a term 431 00:23:49,760 --> 00:23:55,200 Speaker 1: I knew one would use to describe things. The senior 432 00:23:55,200 --> 00:23:57,440 Speaker 1: director in charge of FIG Newton said of the decision, 433 00:23:57,800 --> 00:23:59,560 Speaker 1: it was going to be hot for us to advance 434 00:23:59,560 --> 00:24:02,320 Speaker 1: the Newton's brand the baggage of the fig. 435 00:24:03,359 --> 00:24:08,280 Speaker 3: Wow, yeah, m from baggage. I know. 436 00:24:09,359 --> 00:24:13,120 Speaker 1: From the Snackworks website you can find recipes for Newton's 437 00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:17,399 Speaker 1: topped with him and cheese or breeze, or as a 438 00:24:17,560 --> 00:24:19,400 Speaker 1: topping on salad. 439 00:24:19,960 --> 00:24:22,320 Speaker 2: I don't okay that last one. I don't buy those 440 00:24:22,359 --> 00:24:24,720 Speaker 2: first two. I was like, yes, on board, I will 441 00:24:24,880 --> 00:24:27,960 Speaker 2: use my cookies as crackers and put stuff on top 442 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:32,760 Speaker 2: of them all the time. That sounds great, but that it. 443 00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:37,000 Speaker 1: Was a very I have to say, an appetizing image 444 00:24:37,320 --> 00:24:38,320 Speaker 1: next to the recipe. 445 00:24:38,359 --> 00:24:42,760 Speaker 3: But you know, whatever you like. Sure, yeah. 446 00:24:42,840 --> 00:24:46,919 Speaker 1: And one last thing about the formerly fig Newton nineteen 447 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:50,800 Speaker 1: seventies ad campaign featured actor James Harder dressed as a 448 00:24:50,840 --> 00:24:54,840 Speaker 1: fig named Big Fig and singing one of the lines 449 00:24:54,960 --> 00:24:58,520 Speaker 1: is is it good darn tutin doing the Big Fig Newton? 450 00:25:02,600 --> 00:25:09,880 Speaker 2: The big modernly figs are considered both an excellent crop 451 00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:13,840 Speaker 2: for humans and ecosystems in general. There are records of 452 00:25:13,880 --> 00:25:17,960 Speaker 2: nearly one three hundred bird and mammal species eating figs, 453 00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:22,280 Speaker 2: and new fig growth can spread quickly as those creatures travel, 454 00:25:22,359 --> 00:25:26,560 Speaker 2: and you know, deposit the seeds. Yeah, sure, fig trees 455 00:25:26,600 --> 00:25:29,760 Speaker 2: grow quickly and attract more animals and birds, which in 456 00:25:29,840 --> 00:25:33,280 Speaker 2: turn deposit more species of seeds. So figs can really 457 00:25:33,320 --> 00:25:36,800 Speaker 2: help repair deforestation, and their root systems can be cultivated 458 00:25:36,840 --> 00:25:40,160 Speaker 2: and used to prevent erosion and landslides during stormy seasons. 459 00:25:40,960 --> 00:25:41,760 Speaker 2: They're pretty great. 460 00:25:42,680 --> 00:25:43,080 Speaker 3: Yeah. 461 00:25:43,320 --> 00:25:45,520 Speaker 1: I don't know what fig Newton talking about. I know, 462 00:25:45,760 --> 00:25:49,960 Speaker 1: baggage of the fig. Fig baggage. You'd be so lucky 463 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:51,120 Speaker 1: to have the fig. 464 00:25:51,080 --> 00:25:51,720 Speaker 2: Right, come on? 465 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:57,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's that's a pleasantly up note. Yeah, a way 466 00:25:57,600 --> 00:26:00,000 Speaker 1: to end this history section. And it brings us. 467 00:26:00,040 --> 00:26:05,840 Speaker 2: Too well, another ad break. But then, but then it 468 00:26:05,840 --> 00:26:07,760 Speaker 2: brings us to all that insect stuff we were talking 469 00:26:07,760 --> 00:26:09,960 Speaker 2: about earlier. Okay, back in a bit. 470 00:26:19,760 --> 00:26:21,880 Speaker 3: And we're back. Thank you, sponsors, Yes. 471 00:26:21,720 --> 00:26:28,359 Speaker 2: Thank you. Okay, So science portion fig wasps big wasp. Yes, 472 00:26:28,960 --> 00:26:35,000 Speaker 2: because biologically speaking, figs are fig and fascinating. Oh I'm sorry. 473 00:26:35,680 --> 00:26:38,800 Speaker 2: Like I alluded to earlier, a fig as a unit 474 00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:42,200 Speaker 2: is not strictly a fruit. It's a it's a fruit 475 00:26:42,280 --> 00:26:45,840 Speaker 2: plus flower situation. It's sort of an inside out cluster 476 00:26:46,160 --> 00:26:50,640 Speaker 2: of flowers. Each flower bears a seed, and this type 477 00:26:50,640 --> 00:26:55,800 Speaker 2: of cluster is known as an inflorescence. Inflorescence. The structure 478 00:26:55,800 --> 00:26:58,320 Speaker 2: protects the flowers and the seeds as they mature, but 479 00:26:58,400 --> 00:27:01,680 Speaker 2: it also means that pollinating the flowers is really difficult. 480 00:27:03,160 --> 00:27:07,280 Speaker 2: Enter the fig wasp. Of course, Figs of all kinds 481 00:27:07,480 --> 00:27:11,119 Speaker 2: co evolved with specific species of wasps that pollinate a 482 00:27:11,160 --> 00:27:15,360 Speaker 2: fig this inside out flower cluster by crawling into one. 483 00:27:15,520 --> 00:27:20,240 Speaker 2: What these fig wasps tend to be about about one 484 00:27:20,280 --> 00:27:25,280 Speaker 2: point five millimeters aka zero point zero six inches in length. 485 00:27:25,320 --> 00:27:27,719 Speaker 2: They're just tiny little baby buddies. 486 00:27:28,520 --> 00:27:32,320 Speaker 3: Why nature, uh you know why? 487 00:27:32,960 --> 00:27:35,119 Speaker 2: This has led to a sort of urban myth or 488 00:27:35,280 --> 00:27:39,040 Speaker 2: the rural myth myth in general, that figs contain wasps 489 00:27:39,359 --> 00:27:42,760 Speaker 2: and that the crunchy bits inside of figs are wasp bits. 490 00:27:43,520 --> 00:27:43,840 Speaker 2: They're not. 491 00:27:44,119 --> 00:27:44,600 Speaker 3: Okay. 492 00:27:45,560 --> 00:27:48,600 Speaker 2: First off, many commercially produced figs these days are cultivars, 493 00:27:48,640 --> 00:27:52,640 Speaker 2: that's human produced varieties of trees whose figs can either 494 00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:56,280 Speaker 2: ripen without pollination or can be prompted to ripen by 495 00:27:56,320 --> 00:27:58,560 Speaker 2: spraying them with like figgy hormones. 496 00:27:58,840 --> 00:28:03,720 Speaker 3: Figgy hormones. That's got to be a DJ name somewhere, 497 00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:06,760 Speaker 3: I hope. 498 00:28:06,800 --> 00:28:08,919 Speaker 2: If not, really, if not, one of y'all get on 499 00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:12,960 Speaker 2: it please. But even figs that pollinate to the old 500 00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:18,399 Speaker 2: fashioned way don't contain wasps. I will explain and note 501 00:28:18,600 --> 00:28:21,040 Speaker 2: there's a few ways that fig wasps can reproduce via 502 00:28:21,160 --> 00:28:24,399 Speaker 2: fig fruits. This one is the one that we talk 503 00:28:24,440 --> 00:28:26,520 Speaker 2: about when we talk about the figs that are generally 504 00:28:26,560 --> 00:28:32,520 Speaker 2: eaten by humans generally mm hmm okay. So figs are 505 00:28:32,680 --> 00:28:36,960 Speaker 2: chamber to protect seeds that we chamber, as it turns out, 506 00:28:37,040 --> 00:28:39,800 Speaker 2: is also great protection for a lady wasp looking to 507 00:28:39,880 --> 00:28:46,160 Speaker 2: lay her eggs okay, or rather inedible male figs are 508 00:28:47,160 --> 00:28:50,160 Speaker 2: These are called capra figs to distinguish them from female figs, 509 00:28:50,160 --> 00:28:52,080 Speaker 2: which are the kind we eat and which have too 510 00:28:52,160 --> 00:28:55,880 Speaker 2: much stuff in them for wasps to lay eggs inside. Okay, 511 00:28:56,160 --> 00:28:59,960 Speaker 2: but male capra figs are perfect. So a lady wasp 512 00:29:00,160 --> 00:29:03,320 Speaker 2: spin buzzing around using whatever the wasp equivalent of tinder 513 00:29:03,440 --> 00:29:05,200 Speaker 2: is and she's ready to lay some eggs. 514 00:29:05,360 --> 00:29:05,719 Speaker 3: Okay. 515 00:29:05,960 --> 00:29:08,840 Speaker 2: She finds a suitable fig and crawls in via a 516 00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:11,480 Speaker 2: tiny hole at the round base of the fig. It's 517 00:29:11,520 --> 00:29:14,960 Speaker 2: called the eye or the ostile, and it's a tight fit. 518 00:29:15,240 --> 00:29:18,240 Speaker 2: She probably loses her legs and wings in the process. 519 00:29:18,360 --> 00:29:19,160 Speaker 3: She's moving in. 520 00:29:19,640 --> 00:29:21,240 Speaker 2: This will be her final resting post. 521 00:29:21,320 --> 00:29:23,880 Speaker 3: Okay. It's her home and coughin. 522 00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:27,200 Speaker 2: Final resting fig. Yeah, but if it is indeed a 523 00:29:27,240 --> 00:29:30,240 Speaker 2: capra fig, she gets to lay her eggs. When they hatch, 524 00:29:30,880 --> 00:29:33,360 Speaker 2: the male and female offspring mate with each other. 525 00:29:33,840 --> 00:29:37,880 Speaker 1: Uh huh okay, okay, yeah, you know. I mean it 526 00:29:38,040 --> 00:29:39,320 Speaker 1: took a minute for that to set in. 527 00:29:39,360 --> 00:29:42,160 Speaker 2: But now, okay, it's insects, it's not incest. 528 00:29:42,200 --> 00:29:47,840 Speaker 3: If it's bugs. It's so close though, that's one letter almost. 529 00:29:49,240 --> 00:29:52,040 Speaker 2: When we did a video about this on brain Stuff 530 00:29:52,080 --> 00:29:54,680 Speaker 2: one time, I threw in like a casual joke, like 531 00:29:54,840 --> 00:29:57,120 Speaker 2: they're kind of all Targarians, It's fine, And then I 532 00:29:57,160 --> 00:29:59,920 Speaker 2: got so many comments that were correcting me seeing that 533 00:30:00,080 --> 00:30:02,800 Speaker 2: own it to the Lanisters who have an ancestual relationship 534 00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:05,800 Speaker 2: on Game of Thrones, But actually the Targerians are the 535 00:30:05,800 --> 00:30:08,760 Speaker 2: ones with a history of incest, and Jamie cercy A 536 00:30:08,880 --> 00:30:11,560 Speaker 2: wish that they were burn. 537 00:30:11,800 --> 00:30:15,040 Speaker 3: To all you YouTube commenters years ago. 538 00:30:16,360 --> 00:30:20,480 Speaker 1: Revenge is best served, Cole and Lauren has just served 539 00:30:20,480 --> 00:30:21,040 Speaker 1: it up for. 540 00:30:21,120 --> 00:30:24,680 Speaker 2: You, really really cold, and I guess it was sort 541 00:30:24,680 --> 00:30:27,600 Speaker 2: of served. Thank you for thank you for coming with 542 00:30:27,640 --> 00:30:28,000 Speaker 2: me on that. 543 00:30:28,320 --> 00:30:29,200 Speaker 3: Oh I enjoyed it. 544 00:30:29,320 --> 00:30:31,160 Speaker 2: Lame revenge journey anyway. 545 00:30:33,560 --> 00:30:35,280 Speaker 3: The male. 546 00:30:36,520 --> 00:30:41,040 Speaker 2: Wasp babies are born wingless and sometimes blind. Their only 547 00:30:41,160 --> 00:30:43,880 Speaker 2: job in life is to mate and then chew a 548 00:30:43,920 --> 00:30:48,360 Speaker 2: path out of the fig for the females, for future females, 549 00:30:48,480 --> 00:30:51,200 Speaker 2: for their sisters. Oh that they've made it with. 550 00:30:51,360 --> 00:30:54,520 Speaker 1: Oh yes, okay, oh yes, yeah, how good, I forget. 551 00:30:54,240 --> 00:30:58,320 Speaker 2: Them right right. The females then crawl to freedom, passively 552 00:30:58,360 --> 00:31:01,840 Speaker 2: collecting pollen from the inside of the male fig along 553 00:31:01,880 --> 00:31:05,800 Speaker 2: the way, and the cycle continues. The circle of fig. 554 00:31:07,240 --> 00:31:09,480 Speaker 2: It's the circle of fig. It moves some of us, 555 00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:14,000 Speaker 2: But that's only half the story. If a lady wasp 556 00:31:14,120 --> 00:31:17,680 Speaker 2: enters a potentially edible female fig instead of this male 557 00:31:17,760 --> 00:31:20,640 Speaker 2: capra fig, it doesn't have enough room inside for her 558 00:31:20,680 --> 00:31:22,920 Speaker 2: to lay her eggs, and she will die without reproducing. 559 00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:26,600 Speaker 2: Oh no, however, it's not in vain. She'll have carried 560 00:31:26,640 --> 00:31:30,280 Speaker 2: pollen from her home fig, her fig of birth along 561 00:31:30,280 --> 00:31:32,960 Speaker 2: with her, which will pollinate the female fig and allow 562 00:31:33,000 --> 00:31:35,720 Speaker 2: it to develop and ripen into a delicious edible fig 563 00:31:36,600 --> 00:31:37,000 Speaker 2: for us. 564 00:31:38,520 --> 00:31:41,880 Speaker 3: Your death wasn't in vain. How often does this happen 565 00:31:42,000 --> 00:31:43,400 Speaker 3: that they go into the wrong fig. 566 00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:46,120 Speaker 2: I enough that we get to eat figs. 567 00:31:45,920 --> 00:31:46,920 Speaker 3: So quite offig? 568 00:31:47,040 --> 00:31:52,320 Speaker 2: Yeah wow, However, even these figs do not contain any 569 00:31:52,360 --> 00:31:55,040 Speaker 2: wasp parts by the time you eat them. That is 570 00:31:55,080 --> 00:31:58,240 Speaker 2: because the fig produces a compound called phichin that can 571 00:31:58,240 --> 00:32:01,400 Speaker 2: break down the wasp's body create food for its growing 572 00:32:01,440 --> 00:32:05,280 Speaker 2: flowers and seeds. So figs are kind of cannibals, but 573 00:32:05,320 --> 00:32:06,800 Speaker 2: you're not eating wasp parts. 574 00:32:07,680 --> 00:32:10,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, that is the quote of the episode right there. 575 00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:15,480 Speaker 3: I'm gonna think about that next time I see a 576 00:32:15,520 --> 00:32:18,000 Speaker 3: fig in the store. You're a cannibal, but there's no 577 00:32:18,160 --> 00:32:19,160 Speaker 3: wast parts there. 578 00:32:19,920 --> 00:32:22,120 Speaker 2: Some vegans do avoid figs for this reason. 579 00:32:22,320 --> 00:32:22,920 Speaker 3: Oh really? 580 00:32:23,160 --> 00:32:26,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, and fikin, by the way, is also useful to 581 00:32:26,520 --> 00:32:35,560 Speaker 2: humans for tenderizing meat, rendering fat, and clarifying solutions like booze. Okay, yeah, 582 00:32:33,840 --> 00:32:38,640 Speaker 2: but hold on, it's actually about to get more intense. 583 00:32:39,040 --> 00:32:41,440 Speaker 3: What how can that be? 584 00:32:42,120 --> 00:32:45,080 Speaker 2: The fig wasps that we've been talking about passively pick 585 00:32:45,160 --> 00:32:48,360 Speaker 2: up pollen when they exit their birth fig, but other 586 00:32:48,400 --> 00:32:52,400 Speaker 2: fig wasps actively collect pollen and have these specialized pouches 587 00:32:52,440 --> 00:32:55,960 Speaker 2: on their bodies for that purpose. And research done by 588 00:32:56,000 --> 00:33:00,160 Speaker 2: Cornell and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute indicates that in 589 00:33:00,200 --> 00:33:04,120 Speaker 2: the case of these active pollen collecting wasps, fig trees 590 00:33:04,200 --> 00:33:07,960 Speaker 2: help evolutions select for wasps that actually do the job. 591 00:33:08,600 --> 00:33:11,400 Speaker 2: Like if a wasp fails to deliver pollen to a fig, 592 00:33:11,840 --> 00:33:14,160 Speaker 2: the tree will drop the fig early and the wasp's 593 00:33:14,160 --> 00:33:15,640 Speaker 2: eggs will die before they can hatch. 594 00:33:15,680 --> 00:33:17,840 Speaker 3: Whoa, that's brutal. 595 00:33:18,040 --> 00:33:22,120 Speaker 2: Yeah. Trees that meanwhile have co evolved with passive pollinating 596 00:33:22,200 --> 00:33:24,280 Speaker 2: wasps almost never abort their fruit. 597 00:33:25,280 --> 00:33:26,720 Speaker 3: That's fascinating. 598 00:33:27,080 --> 00:33:31,040 Speaker 2: But they do trick lady wasps into entering female figs 599 00:33:31,160 --> 00:33:33,760 Speaker 2: and thus pollinating them and also dying without laying their 600 00:33:33,760 --> 00:33:36,840 Speaker 2: eggs by having their female figs mimic the scent of 601 00:33:36,880 --> 00:33:43,360 Speaker 2: male figs like dang fig trees. That is harsh, that's cold, 602 00:33:43,600 --> 00:33:49,640 Speaker 2: I know, oh man, wasps. There's really no evolutionary pressure though, 603 00:33:49,720 --> 00:33:53,520 Speaker 2: for wasps to avoid being tricked like this, because they're 604 00:33:53,560 --> 00:33:57,800 Speaker 2: so inbread. You know, any given lady wasps jeans will 605 00:33:57,800 --> 00:33:58,960 Speaker 2: live on through her sisters. 606 00:33:59,360 --> 00:34:07,160 Speaker 3: So the cycle of fig indeed, Wow, it's. 607 00:34:06,960 --> 00:34:10,400 Speaker 2: A strange story. It is, and it might all sound 608 00:34:10,520 --> 00:34:13,040 Speaker 2: like a really gross or at the very least like 609 00:34:13,200 --> 00:34:18,280 Speaker 2: super metal, but it's also just a very cool example 610 00:34:18,320 --> 00:34:22,240 Speaker 2: of mutualism in nature, in which two species equally benefit 611 00:34:22,400 --> 00:34:26,000 Speaker 2: from their relationship. Researchers think that figs and fig wasps 612 00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:30,040 Speaker 2: have been working like this together for sixty five million years, 613 00:34:30,920 --> 00:34:34,880 Speaker 2: which is a really long time to perfect this process. 614 00:34:35,320 --> 00:34:39,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, okay, I have so many ideas. I want to 615 00:34:39,680 --> 00:34:44,440 Speaker 1: see the cover photoshop of Jurassic Part and it's like 616 00:34:44,640 --> 00:34:46,719 Speaker 1: a fig you know, where the red thing is on 617 00:34:46,760 --> 00:34:50,279 Speaker 1: the cover, and then a wasp is the t rex. 618 00:34:51,440 --> 00:34:54,520 Speaker 3: Work. It's sixty five million years in the making. And 619 00:34:54,560 --> 00:34:55,720 Speaker 3: then I want. 620 00:34:55,560 --> 00:34:59,520 Speaker 1: To have like a subplot where come with me on 621 00:34:59,560 --> 00:35:01,600 Speaker 1: this journey, you guys, okay, okay, okay. I want the 622 00:35:01,680 --> 00:35:06,799 Speaker 1: figs so in a family treet with fig loss they're 623 00:35:06,840 --> 00:35:10,640 Speaker 1: a big involved and if so on the passport when 624 00:35:10,800 --> 00:35:13,440 Speaker 1: you say fig of origin, because fig Wasp would have 625 00:35:13,480 --> 00:35:16,120 Speaker 1: passports in this story that I'm creating, clearly. 626 00:35:16,080 --> 00:35:18,360 Speaker 3: How would we differentiate between the different figs. 627 00:35:18,480 --> 00:35:23,440 Speaker 2: Oh, it's a whole tiny Wasp universe out there just 628 00:35:23,480 --> 00:35:24,600 Speaker 2: waiting to be populated. 629 00:35:24,760 --> 00:35:25,120 Speaker 3: I know. 630 00:35:26,280 --> 00:35:29,800 Speaker 1: There's so much to be written and created and to discover, 631 00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:34,880 Speaker 1: and it's all thanks to figs and fig wasp. 632 00:35:39,360 --> 00:35:42,080 Speaker 2: They really work together to make something beautiful. 633 00:35:42,400 --> 00:35:42,839 Speaker 3: They do. 634 00:35:43,280 --> 00:35:46,239 Speaker 1: I hope that for at least some of you, you 635 00:35:46,360 --> 00:35:48,080 Speaker 1: had no idea that we were going to be talking 636 00:35:48,080 --> 00:35:50,440 Speaker 1: about Wasp in this, I don't know how common it 637 00:35:50,480 --> 00:35:53,160 Speaker 1: is around our office. It's like common knowledge because we 638 00:35:53,239 --> 00:35:55,520 Speaker 1: did you did that episode, yeah or brain stuff a 639 00:35:55,520 --> 00:35:55,879 Speaker 1: while ago. 640 00:35:55,960 --> 00:35:57,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, and Robert lam had written an article about it 641 00:35:58,120 --> 00:35:58,719 Speaker 2: right before that. 642 00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:02,200 Speaker 3: So yeah, but I don't know how common it is. 643 00:36:02,280 --> 00:36:04,200 Speaker 2: Outside of it. I had never heard this myth that 644 00:36:04,920 --> 00:36:09,480 Speaker 2: figs contain wasps. Apparently it's a relatively common like like 645 00:36:09,600 --> 00:36:11,239 Speaker 2: you you're eating a fig, don't you know that they 646 00:36:11,239 --> 00:36:13,799 Speaker 2: have wasps in them? Like like like playground kind of 647 00:36:13,800 --> 00:36:16,480 Speaker 2: taunt whoa in some places. 648 00:36:16,560 --> 00:36:17,359 Speaker 3: So I don't know. 649 00:36:17,800 --> 00:36:21,920 Speaker 1: My playground is very different than the taunting game. But uh, 650 00:36:22,120 --> 00:36:24,360 Speaker 1: I mean, if it's enough where I I certainly had 651 00:36:24,400 --> 00:36:27,480 Speaker 1: never heard of it until you mentioned it. But if 652 00:36:27,480 --> 00:36:32,360 Speaker 1: it is enough for some vegans avoid figs, well just 653 00:36:32,440 --> 00:36:33,240 Speaker 1: do a little survey. 654 00:36:33,400 --> 00:36:33,800 Speaker 3: Listeners. 655 00:36:33,840 --> 00:36:35,680 Speaker 1: You should let us know if this was a surprise 656 00:36:35,760 --> 00:36:43,720 Speaker 1: to you, you've known it for years, and that brings 657 00:36:43,800 --> 00:36:46,240 Speaker 1: us to the end of this classic episode. We hope 658 00:36:46,239 --> 00:36:49,520 Speaker 1: that you enjoyed Maybe it was your first time, maybe 659 00:36:49,520 --> 00:36:51,560 Speaker 1: it was your second, who knows how many times you've 660 00:36:51,600 --> 00:36:52,120 Speaker 1: listened to it. 661 00:36:52,160 --> 00:36:53,799 Speaker 3: I really hope that you enjoyed it. 662 00:36:55,040 --> 00:36:58,040 Speaker 1: And of course, if you have ways that I can 663 00:36:58,080 --> 00:37:00,680 Speaker 1: incorporate figs into my life more. 664 00:37:01,239 --> 00:37:02,839 Speaker 3: Well, I would love to hear them. 665 00:37:02,960 --> 00:37:04,279 Speaker 2: Send them along, Sure. 666 00:37:04,400 --> 00:37:05,120 Speaker 3: Send them along. 667 00:37:05,840 --> 00:37:09,240 Speaker 1: You can email us at hello atsaverpod dot com. 668 00:37:09,480 --> 00:37:11,680 Speaker 2: We are also on social media. You can find us 669 00:37:11,719 --> 00:37:15,000 Speaker 2: on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at saver pod and we 670 00:37:15,080 --> 00:37:17,760 Speaker 2: do hope to hear from you. Saverr is a production 671 00:37:17,800 --> 00:37:20,360 Speaker 2: of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from my heart Radio, you 672 00:37:20,400 --> 00:37:24,520 Speaker 2: can visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 673 00:37:24,560 --> 00:37:27,480 Speaker 2: listen to your favorite shows. Thanks as always to our 674 00:37:27,520 --> 00:37:30,360 Speaker 2: super producers Dylan Fagan and Andrew Howard. Thanks to you 675 00:37:30,400 --> 00:37:31,920 Speaker 2: for listening, and we hope that lots of more good 676 00:37:31,960 --> 00:37:40,520 Speaker 2: things are coming your way.