Let's Talk Figs With Tony Torrone

The earliest memory I have of figs is from when I was 7 years old and my family went to visit friends. Arriving on a winter day and walking into the backyard, I noticed something standing about seven feet tall, with a tarp tied around it, and a metal bucket upside down on top. I remember asking, “What is that?”

The answer came quickly, “Un albero di fichi.”  It was a fig tree, wrapped to keep it warm in the cold climate.

Thus began my adventure with figs – fresh figs, white, brown, stuffed figs with nuts, cuccidatti (fig stuffed cookies), fichi di India (not figs, but cactus pears). I digress.

Yes, as I learned growing up, figs play an important role in Italian culture. While they are eaten fresh during the summer, their value only increases in late autumn and at Christmastime when they are eaten dried. Southern Italy, especially Campania, Puglia, Calabria, and Sicily are all noted for their figs. I remember that around the holidays we would have straw boxes filled with dried figs. There were figs attached to a length of straw, and one pulled from the straw to eat them.

It is with these early memories that we at Torrone Candy decided to keep the fig traditions alive and offer them during the holiday season.

Artibel is a well-known producer of dried figs, and we offer three of their products:

• Figs wrapped and baked in fig leaves, shaped into a ball – a great gift
• Chocolate covered dried figs
• Dried figs plain, or stuffed with almonds

Sgambelluri is another wonderful Calabrian company; they have delicious figs that are chocolate covered and stuffed with almonds, in a lovely package that makes a terrific gift. I should now confess that I have put a few packages away for personal cravings.  

We offer figs from F.lli Marano     

• Paciocchi are chocolate covered figs with almond and orange peel
• Bocconcini are stuffed with almond and orange peel
• Le Crocette are stuffed with walnuts and orange peel

Oliviero, another Campania producer, offers chocolate covered figs without nuts and these are also very delicious.

Whatever your preference for figs, we are pleased to present a nice variety for your holiday celebrations. If your family is like ours, there is always room to maintain old traditions or to be curious and create new ones.

We at Torrone Candy wish you Buon Natale and as always Mangia Bene.

P.S. Order quickly as supplies are limited.

Shop the fig collection here.