The Fig is the official custodian of Summer. Its story remains one of the most astonishing in the natural world: a fruit that is not a fruit, a flower turned inward, a tree that needs a tiny specialized wasp to be pollinated, and a scent that’s one of the most seductive in the plant kingdom. Perhaps that is why humans, throughout time and cultures, have kept making the Fig holy. The Buddha woke to enlightenment beneath a sacred Fig. Adam and Eve sewed Fig leaves together for their first covering, and some old traditions even suggest the forbidden fruit itself was a Fig, not an Apple. The Quran has an entire surah named for the Fig, beginning with the Fig and the Olive. In Rome, the she-wolf was said to have suckled Romulus and Remus beneath the Ficus Ruminalis, so the Fig stands at the very beginning of the city. And in the Hebrew Bible, peace itself is imagined as every person sitting beneath their own vine and Fig tree, with no one to make them afraid. |
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The Fig is also generous. It holds a small universe of sap and sweetness that’s part caramel, part wildflower, part cream. We’ve just released a limited-edition Noir Fig Balsamic Vinegar — equal parts sweet, tangy, and smoky — which captures the essence of the Fig, then somehow doubles it. We begin with Trebbiano and Lambrusco Grapes, the foundation of traditional balsamic, and ferment them slowly with pressed organic Calabrian Figs, chosen for their syrupy sweetness and dense flesh. The blend is aged in Oak barrels, where time and air work their quiet transformation. The result is a honeyed and thick Fig Balsamic Vinegar with caramel sweetness, dark fruit, and just enough tang to make everything wake up. It is holy over a wedge of aged Parmigiano, grilled Peaches, and soft Heirloom Tomatoes. And unreasonable over Vanilla gelato. The harvest is quite limited, and we’ve paired it with an exceptional Fennel Flower Extra Virgin Olive Oil that is wild and aromatic. It was grown by Carranza Family Farms along the California coast, infused with the golden pollen of wild Fennel. One brings richness. The other brings lift. Together, the Duo is sweet and savory, ancient and very useful, Mediterranean but also very Californian. |
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Which makes sense, because the Fig is a great traveler. It journeyed across the world with sailors, farmers, traders, monks, soldiers, and cooks. It was carried by Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, and then later by Spanish missionaries to California, where the Mission Fig still carries the name of those first Franciscan missions. But as we know, the story of the Fig begins in the Mediterranean. Long before it crossed oceans, it grew wild along the rocky coastlines of Greece and Anatolia, thriving in the same sun-baked soil as Olive and Grapevine. There is something about the particularly dry heat of the Greek isles that invokes the wildest, most honest perfume of the Fig: something green, milky, slightly sweet yet mysterious at once. No island captures this better than Lesbos, still famous today for its Figs, its Olive groves, and its wild, herb-covered hills. And of course, Sapphos. One of antiquity's greatest lyric female poets who lived and wrote about eros between women, an ancient concept of sensual, passionate love, and the root of the word "erotic" itself. Her legacy runs so deep that the words "sapphic" and "lesbian" both trace back to her. So revered, that Plato himself called her the "tenth muse." Sappho’s understanding of longing and desire, mixed with the seductive scent of the Fig, native to her home, had us thinking and experimenting for seasons. We wanted to capture that green, milky sweetness of the Fig at peak ripeness, tangled with the sun, salt, and wood of the Mediterranean and melt it into a candle. We finally got it right. And just last week we released it to the world. |
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Sappho Fig conjures the intoxicating window of time in the Greek isles when the air is still green, the Fig is just ripe, and a creamy whisper of woods and spice hint at the depth and resilience of the Mediterranean. It is sweet, green, wild, creamy, spicy, and musky all at once — mixing notes of Fig Leaf, Ginger, Cardamom, and Sandalwood. It’s unexpected and seductive, and we’ve never made anything like it. Speaking of gems that can’t be compared, my dear friend Ellen Marie Bennett, founder of Hedley and Bennett, is curating our Farm Box this week. She's been our greatest cheerleader since the beginning, and we consider her family. Ellen is half Mexican, half English, but born and raised in LA. Her cooking mixes all three cultures, and her brand reflects who she is at her core: colorful, clever, and unmistakably her own. This week, that spirit is very alive in the Farm Box. |
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In it, you will find her famous Herby Serrano Guacamole recipe and everything you need to make it at home: Hass Avocados, Limes, Serrano Peppers, Cilantro, Basil, Mint, and Tortillas from Sonora Town. She’s also included Blackberries, Pineapple Heirloom Tomatoes, Tomatillos, Red Radish, Lonque D'Temps Red Torpedo Onions, Radicchio Mix, Eggs, and so much more. For a little treat at the end, we’re all getting her Dark Chocolate Almond and Walnut Butter Stuffed Gato Dates. And if it wasn’t enough, a beautiful zester from Hedley and Bennett, an essential every cook needs in their kitchen. We are so grateful. For the Fig. For generous friends. For an abundant season of color, taste, perfume, and so much seduction. Holy, indeed. As always, cook a meal for someone you love. x Richard |
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