When do figs ripen and hit the market? Which varieties taste best and where do they come from?

The fig is a flowering plant belonging to the mulberry family, genus Ficus, and grows mainly in tropical and temperate regions. It has high edible and medicinal value. So when does it ripen and hit the market? Which varieties and producing areas taste best? According to mulberry family data, the fig's flowering period is April——May, and the fruit can set and bear from mid-June to October. Many people think it ripens twice a year, but in fact it bears fruit from June to October every year, and the summer and autumn fruits are distinguished by their differing quality. In the Chongqing area it buds in mid-March and drops its leaves in mid-to-late November, flowering successively from May——July. Summer fruits ripen in early-to-mid July, and autumn fruits ripen successively from mid-August to late October.

Which fig varieties taste good?

1. Xinjiang Zaohuang, an early-ripening fig variety unique to southern Xinjiang. A dual-purpose summer-autumn variety; the autumn fruit is oblate, with a single fruit weight of 50-70 grams, yellow when ripe, with an uncracked fruit top, strawberry-colored flesh, and a soluble solids content of 15%-17% or higher. The flavor is richly sweet and the quality is superior. The tree is vigorous but has an open posture, a high rate of shoot formation, and thick branches, especially the summer shoots. In its place of origin, Xinjiang, the summer fruit ripens in early July and the autumn fruit ripens in mid-to-late August.

2. Qingpi, this variety's fruit is medium-large, of good quality, and highly productive; it is an excellent variety for fresh eating and processing. Both its fresh-eating and processing quality are good, and it is cold-tolerant, barren-tolerant, and salt-alkali-tolerant.

3. Brunswick, a French variety. The summer fruit ripens in early-to-mid July, and the autumn fruit ripens successively from mid-August to late October. Its sugar content is high, reaching 18%-20%, with fine flesh, a sweet taste, and the highest quality.

4. Jin Aofeng, with an excellent fresh-eating flavor and top-grade quality. Extremely productive and relatively cold-tolerant. The summer fruit development period is about 64 days, and the autumn fruit development period is 62 days. The ripening period is from late July to late October, and with suitable conditions it can be extended to December. This variety is the best for fresh eating, and its fruit and leaves can also be used for processing.

5. Meiliya, begins to ripen in early August in Zhengzhou, Henan; when ripe the skin is golden, thin, and glossy. The flesh is brownish-yellow or pale, slightly hollow, juicy, sweet, with a good flavor and excellent quality.

6. Bojihong, with a ripening period from late July to mid-to-late October, and extremely productive. It is an excellent large-fruited red variety for fresh eating. The flesh is slightly hollow, light red or red, sweet and juicy, with a soluble solids content of 16%-20% and excellent quality. It has relatively strong cold tolerance and salt-alkali tolerance.

7. Japanese Purple Fruit, currently the highest-priced and most popular red excellent fig variety in Japan. The flesh is bright red, dense, and juicy, with a moderate sweet-sour taste; the trace element selenium contained in its fruit and leaves is the highest among all excellent varieties. The ripening period is from late August to late October.

8. Zhongnonghong, with red flesh, juicy and sweet, and a soluble solids content of 18%-22%, with excellent quality. It is the best fine variety for fresh eating and processing into dried fruit.

9. Masui Dauphine, with thin but tough skin, purple-red to brown in color, peach-red flesh, coarse and crisp flesh, high sugar content, and above-average quality. By the full-bearing stage, about 70% of the fruit of mature trees of this variety ripens concentrated in August-September.

10. Zhongnong Hanyou, with bright peach-red flesh, juicy and sweet, and a soluble solids content of over 17%. It is an autumn-fruiting type, relatively tolerant of storage and transport, with excellent quality.

Which producing areas have good-tasting figs?

1. Rongcheng figs [Rongcheng City, Weihai, Shandong], with excellent quality: relatively large in size, sweet, fragrant and soft-glutinous, with a unique flavor and rich nutrition.

2. Weihai figs [Rongcheng City, Weihai, Shandong]; the fruit can be eaten fresh or made into jam, canned goods, dried fruit, preserved fruit, candied fruit, and wine, etc.

3. Weiyuan figs [Weiyuan County, Neijiang, Sichuan]

4. Atushi figs [Atushi City, Kizilsu, Xinjiang]

5. Gangxi figs [Rongcheng City, Weihai, Shandong]