Did you know that the fig is not a fruit?

Mathilde Bourge | 9/25/23, 5:32 PM

Contrary to popular belief, the fig is not a fruit. This is what science popularizer Marie Treibert explains in a short video.

The arrival of autumn rhymes with butternut, pumpkin, mushroom and... fig! They've been appearing on market stalls for a few weeks now, and are the star of many pastry and ice cream desserts, enjoyed roasted with a little honey and feta cheese, or even plain, sometimes just picked from the tree. But did you know that the fig is not a fruit? That's what Marie Treibert, a popular science popularizer on the networks, explains in a short video posted on her Instagram page.

The fig, a floral receptacle

In this short video, Marie Treibert teaches us that, despite its very sweet taste, the fig is not a fruit, but a "floral receptacle". "It's a bit like a flower turned inside out," she explains.

The self-styled "naturalist" continues: "However, it's not bees that pollinate figs, but a variety of wasps known as "fig wasps". "They go straight into the fig, lay their eggs and develop small larvae," she explains. "As Marie Treibert so aptly puts it, it's all called mutualism: "No wasp, no fig. No fig, no wasp". But don't worry! These agonid wasps don't sting, measure no more than 1 mm and emerge from the fig once they've hatched.

Figs aren't the only foodstuffs we generally have trouble classifying. Tomatoes and avocados, often categorized as vegetables, are actually fruits, unlike rhubarb, which is a vegetable. The most important thing is to select quality products and enjoy them all year round!

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