On these sun-drenched isles, high summer brings not just shimmering sea days and languid golden evenings, but also a second season of figs. Although over 30 varieties of fig can be found across Malta and Gozo, most are familiar with the early green figs, known as bajtar ta’ San Ġwann, which ripen in June, coinciding with the Xewkija feast of St John the Baptist, hence the name. The same trees later produce dusky purple figs (farkizzan), which are harvested in August. This variety, referred to locally as tin, is typically dried and pressed together with bay leaves and aniseed to last through the lean winter months.
As a heritage professional with a taste for the past—and an appetite for the seasonal—I have created two Mediterranean summer recipes, sure-fire winners to kick-start an alfresco meal. One consists of grilled figs stuffed with Roquefort, walnuts, fresh thyme and drizzled with Gozo honey and balsamic vinegar. The other caramelised peaches with cumin and crushed hazelnuts, sandwiched with fresh mozzarella di buffalo, which I’ll be sharing in another article, for we must stretch the pleasures of the season while we can.
Both are super easy to make and require minimal time. For who want to spend ages slaving away in a sweltering kitchen? Succulent, sweet and salty, these entrées will guarantee to have guests drooling over their ambrosial nectar.
Figs are among the oldest cultivated fruits in human history, with origins traced back to the region of modern-day Afghanistan and Iran as early as 9200–9400 BC. Revered since antiquity, the testicle-shaped fruit has long been associated with abundance, fertility, and sweetness, appearing over 60 times in the Bible, often representing prosperity or judgment.
In ancient Egypt, figs symbolised victory over death; to the Greeks, they were ‘food of the Gods’, gifts from Dionysus, nourishing philosophers and orators. Plato, nicknamed “fig eater,” believed figs boosted intelligence. In Roman lore, the she-wolf suckled Romulus and Remus beneath a fig tree, whilst it is said Cato the Elder presented fresh north African figs to the Senate to argue Carthage’s proximity and threat. The epicurean, Apicius, praised iecur ficatum—liver from animals fattened with figs—an early precursor of foie-gras, from which the Italian word for liver, fegato,is derived. Roman soldiers, according to Tacitus, in his Annales, were paid in salt and dried figs. Incompetence on the battlefield led to the enduring phrase “not worth a dried fig.” Ovid noted figs, dates, and honey were given on New Year’s Eve as wishes of goodwill. Emperor Augustus, known for his fondness for figs—often enjoyed with cheese and fish—was rumoured to have met his end by a poisoned fig, allegedly served by his wife, Livia.
Figs were cherished by Cleopatra, given to athletes as training food and offered as laurels to the winners in the first Olympic games. Even the Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment beneath a fig tree. Locally, figs were a staple of the rural Maltese diet, known as the “bread of the poor.”
The fig tree sustains more biodiversity than any other tree in the world, and its pollination is as fascinating as its history. Its blossoms, which grow inside the fruit, giving figs their crunchy texture, are pollinated by wasps that die in the process. However, the bark beetle and oriental hornets are currently decimating local fig trees and threatening pollinators, pushing up prices and endangering local varieties. Nutritionally, figs are rich in calcium, potassium, iron, and fiber—more, ounce for ounce, than prunes or bananas. Packed with antioxidants like polyphenols and luteolin, they help combat inflammation and oxidative stress.
Grilled Figs with Roquefort, Walnuts and Honey
Ingredients (serves 4):
- 8 ripe fresh figs
- Crumbled Roquefort cheese, Feta or Fresh Ġbejna
- A handful of crushed walnuts
- A few sprigs of fresh thyme, finely chopped
- Runny Gozo honey
- Balsamic vinegar
- Freshly ground black pepper
- A bed of rocket leaves to serve
Method: Wash the figs and score a cross into the top of each one. Place on a baking tray and stuff each fig with a generous amount of Roquefort, crushed walnuts, and a sprinkle of thyme. Drizzle with honey and a spray of balsamic vinegar. Finish with a scrunch of black pepper. Grill under a medium heat for around five minutes—until the cheese melts and the figs are bubbling with nectar. Let them rest for five minutes before serving on a peppery bed of rocket.
La tistennix il-bajtra taqa’ f’ħalqek – “Don’t wait for the fig to fall into your mouth,” states a familiar Maltese idiom. So, take the initiative and prepare for appreciative murmurs and sticky fingers.
