Figs, fresh and dried, have become the fruit of celebrations and festivities throughout the western world, and have been the typical fruit of Christmas since at least the time of Charles Dickens.

In Figs: A Global History, David Sutton examines the festive and celebratory importance of figs in many countries, by placing this luscious and festive fruit in its historical context.

Figs describes the odd biology of the fig, which is botanically not a fruit at all, as well as its Arabian origins and the possibility that Adam and Eve’s ‘forbidden fruit’ was actually a fig. Featuring numerous recipes and fine illustrations, this is a lively, engaging account of a unique and delicious food.