Fig leaf
무화과잎
ⓒ
Photo: Silverije · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Original file (Wikimedia Commons)
Not the fig fruit, but the leaf. Walk past a fig tree in summer and you'll smell something sweet like coconut and vanilla. Ice cream made by steeping these leaves in cream is popular among chefs.
Flavor and aroma
- It has a sweet, green aroma like a mix of coconut, vanilla, almond and toasted nuts.
- It doesn't taste like figs.
Fun facts
- Heating or steeping brings out the aroma.
- It has recently been introduced as an ingredient widely used by chefs and pastry chefs in American fine dining.
- American restaurants steep fig leaves in rum and non-alcoholic spirits for vanilla and coconut notes.
In the kitchen
Desserts
- Steep the leaves in warm cream or milk for about an hour to make ice cream, panna cotta, crème brûlée, custard or rice pudding.
- Make fig leaf Basque cheesecake. Raspberries are a good pairing.
Cooking
- Wrap salmon or white fish in the leaves and bake. Add it to coconut rice too.
Other ideas
- Make fig leaf syrup (for cocktails and drinks), flavored oil or vinegar, or infuse it in vodka or rum.
Goes well with
VanillaHoneyRaspberryBlueberryStrawberryApricotCoconutAlmondMacadamiaWalnut
Tips
- The leaf itself isn't eaten; remove it after steeping. Lightly toasting it in the oven or charring it over a flame deepens the aroma. Fresh leaves keep only a few days in the fridge.
Season
We're still checking the season. We'll add it once we find a source.
Details
- Korean name
- 무화과잎
- English names
- fig leaf
- Scientific name
- Ficus carica
- Family
- Moraceae
- Genus
- Ficus
Show sources for this page
References for this herb
- Specialty Produce
- Falstaff
- Fine Dining Lovers
- David Lebovitz
- Serious Eats
- The Takeout
Name and classification
Photo
Silverije · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Original file (Wikimedia Commons)