This is a small interlude for my friend Joe, a passionate force in his work, and with his fig trees at home.

The fig tree brings a fascinating and historically significance, the “figs from Cosenza” represent a real economic and social resource in the province of Cosenza. Their importance is immediately perceived through the pages of the rich historical documentation on the subject.

The fig tree arrived in Calabria in uncertain times, probably at the time of civilization greek-Roman work of the travelers employed as a bargaining barter. From then on, its cultivation has settled quickly, particularly in the province of Cosenza, thanks to an ideal soil and climate.

It is well-established in this area over the centuries a famous production of figs, which for so long has been considered one of the main sources of livelihood and food trade.

The fig tree is quite common in all regions of southern Italy. However, what differentiates the production cosentina from the other is the presence of an economic activity strongly linked to the transformation of the product, and in particular to a production of dried figs with particular characteristics.

In fact, the transformation of dried figs in different local recipes is characterized by a high intake of dexterity that is present in all phases of the manufacturing process, from harvesting to packaging, and which is of decisive also for the quality of the final product. The manual operations involved (in particular opening, filling, pressing, crushing disc of the fruit, the formation of balls) are always executed by experienced and skillful reflect a “know-how”, which – handed down from generation to generation – it came as consolidating irreplaceable heritage of the area.

The high incidence of “human and cultural factors” on “Figs of Cosenza” is also found in the final results of production. Braids, necklaces, crosses, balls are producing types which represent the same forms of expression of the creative imagination of the local population. They are also charged with a symbolism to bring together social and religious meanings.