Are Figs Vegan? The Debate around Fig Fruit

What are figs?

Figs are a type of tear-shaped edible fruit with purple or green skin and red flesh grown in climates with hot summers in Western Asia, North Africa, and Europe. They are harvested in late summer and autumn, and are then eaten, dried and turned into jams and preserves. When fresh (raw), the fruit itself is mostly water, with the remaining part being carbohydrates. Dried figs have a longer shelf life, but the fruit can be eaten fresh as well. Fresh figs are a small to moderate source of dietary fibre, with insignificant amounts of other micronutrients, but when the fruit is dried, it contains a higher percentage of carbohydrates and a good source of vitamin K, magnesium, manganese, iron, calcium and potassium. They are best consumed at room temperature.

Are figs vegan?

Are figs vegan? It's a question that might sound more than a little paradoxical - after all, what could be more vegan than something that actually grows on a tree? But even so, a debate is currently raging in the vegan community about whether it's legitimate for vegans to eat them.

What does it mean to be vegan?

First of all, though, what exactly is a vegan? Well, a vegan lifestyle is one which tries to minimise exploitation and cruelty by avoiding all animal products - meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy - as well as anything derived from them. The Vegan Society defines it as “a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.” But as the number of vegans has exploded in recent years and a huge market of new ingredients and 'faux food' meat substitutes has sprung up to satisfy demand, the question of how exactly this definition should be interpreted has become moot.

Given that it's rich in antioxidants, a good source of fibre, contain calcium, iron, potassium, copper, and vitamins, can be eaten fresh or dried and – most importantly of all - grows on trees, you might be forgiven for thinking that the fig fruit would be an ideal addition to a vegan diet. Some, however, disagree.

What does it have to do with fig trees?

The crux of the issue is not whether figs are in reality a kind of meat, but rather the way in which they are pollinated. Because the fig tree's 'fruit' is actually an enclosed inverted flower, and because its shape means it can't rely on the wind or bees for pollination, it's forced to rely on the help of pollinator wasps - the problem being that the wasps inevitably die in the process.

As they crawl through the fig's narrow opening, their wings and antennae break off, leaving them trapped, and the eggs they lay hatch into larvae which burrow out of the fig and then fly away carrying fig pollen with them if they are female, or remain to die in the fig with the original wasp if they are male. Luckily for us, though, the fig fruit produces an enzyme which digests these dead wasps completely.

So, should vegans still eat figs?

So this being the case, can vegans eat figs? Predictably there are two schools of thought on the issue, with much depending upon personal interpretations of the concept of veganism itself.

Why the fig fruit could be considered vegan

Many vegans think that the essence of the question lies in the phrase 'as far as practicable'. They say that there's a world of difference between factory farming and animal testing and the incidental consumption of insects, and point out that animals are inevitably killed – albeit accidentally – even in the production of foods like bread, where some number of mice are certain to be accidentally harvested along with the wheat.

Furthermore, some commercially-grown varieties of fig don't actually require wasp pollination, which means that a blanket ban is unnecessary even for those who are disturbed by the wasp issue.

And last but not least, as we saw above, the crunchy bits found in figs are seeds and not wasp remains, meaning there is no chance of actually eating a wasp anyway. These vegans say that the symbiotic relationship between figs and wasps is an entirely natural and mutually beneficial one where each species relies on the other for its survival, and that therefore they are not contributing to the exploitation or suffering of animals.

Why the fig fruit cannot be considered vegan

The other camp – those who claim that figs are not vegan - are those who hold to a stricter definition of what being a vegan means. From their perspective, a vegan lifestyle implies dispensing with all those products which are wholly or partly derived from animals, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

This means that as far as they are concerned, vegans should avoid eating any food which contains animals or animal products, regardless of whether its production involved animal exploitation or suffering. As far as they are concerned, given that the way in which some figs are pollinated means that each of them contains at least one dead wasp, eating a fig means eating a dead insect, and that is something they refuse to do.

So the answer to the question 'do vegans eat figs?' turns out to be, 'well, it depends which kind of vegan'.

Discover more about the latest in vegan food, recipes, and what is and isn’t vegan in our news section. Find also about 6 more foods that you thought were vegan and actually aren't.

Figs recipe ideas

Whatever your feelings about figs, though, it's difficult to deny that they're delicious. And though we might normally associate them with desserts, they're a versatile ingredient that makes a tasty addition to all kinds of foods, from hors d'oeuvres to main courses.

Risotto with figs

The vegans among us might try using figs to liven up a risotto. You'll need 7 or 8 figs for every 500g of carnaroli or arborio rice. Follow these easy steps:

Heat some olive oil in a skillet or large frying pan
Fry the rice in it for a few minutes
Gradually add vegetable broth (other broths will overpower the figs' flavour)
Add more as it cooks into the rice
Add the sliced figs in the last few minutes of cooking
Stir them gently until they have amalgamated with the mixture

Dried figs

Dried figs are delicious: one traditional Southern Italian recipe calls for them to be cut in half lengthwise then placed on a tray and exposed to the sun for several days until they are dark and withered, at which point they can be filled with half a walnut, an almond or a candied citron peel, and baked at 180 degrees for about 10-15 minutes until browned. Learn how to dry figs in simple steps.

Caramelised figs

Caramelised figs also go wonderfully with cheeses like gorgonzola, stracchino and aged cheddar, and make a delicious addition to a cheese sandwich.

Non-vegan recipes with figs

Those who aren't vegan, on the other hand, might be tempted by a variation on ossobuco with figs, the legendary Italian dish of braised veal shanks made following these steps: