Fig leaves

Ficus carica

leaf · infusion

A scent of coconut and vanilla, and compounds that the fig does not have: leaf and fruit are nothing alike.

Origin

Near East

Where to find it

Wherever a fig tree grows, from Breton gardens to the terraces of Provence; pastry chefs infuse them into the cream for ice creams and panna cottas.

Season (United States)

June to September

Preparation

A leaf wraps a fish or cheese for cooking, or steeps in milk or cream, then is removed; it is not eaten. For flavoring, not as a daily habit: their furanocoumarins make the skin sensitive to the sun, and the fig tree's white sap burns exposed skin.

Did you know?

Cooking a fish wrapped in a fig leaf is a very old Mediterranean gesture — the leaf scents and protects at the same time.