Question: are figs by and large considered vegetarian? It may seem an odd question, but consider the way figs are produced. The fig wasp crawls inside the fig, pollinates the flowers, and lays its eggs. The eggs hatch, the young mate. The males eat holes in the fruit to let the females out, who then escape and lay eggs in other figs. But the males die and remain inside the fig as it ripens. Ergo the crunch and "nutty" flavor.
But I see figs in so many vegetarian recipes and magazines, I have to wonder if I've really got all the facts. Are there some commercially viable cultivars that don't require pollination? I know at least one such mutant variety exists, but I've never heard of it being used by professional fig growers, only in horticulture. So what's the deal? Am I missing something or has no one else been clued in on this?
But I see figs in so many vegetarian recipes and magazines, I have to wonder if I've really got all the facts. Are there some commercially viable cultivars that don't require pollination? I know at least one such mutant variety exists, but I've never heard of it being used by professional fig growers, only in horticulture. So what's the deal? Am I missing something or has no one else been clued in on this?