In September, the figs are ripe. When you are on Kythira during this month, pick a fig from the tree and enjoy its unique taste and the surprising combination of the soft skin and the crunchy sweet seeds inside. The fig is nutritious and healthy. In Greece, a fig symbolizes prosperity, fertility, knowledge and harmony.
In ancient Athens the fig was, after the olive and the grape, the most important fruit. In those times, its export was controlled under the strict supervision of the state and a tax levied for a substantial contribution to the state treasury.
The fresh fig is delicate and it is preferable to eat it within two days of picking. As in earlier times, figs are also still dried in the sun in order to preserve them for the winter. Don’t miss the chance to taste both the fresh fig and the dried fig, for example at the Sunday morning market in Potamos.