Aromatics Incorporated
The Global Fig & Citrus Partnership
When we eat food at peak ripeness for the first time, the experience creates a sense memory that has us forever seeking that fix again. Good markets have ripe local produce, but food is all around us, even in urban areas. We can discover super-local fruit in our neighborhoods just by keeping our eyes (and noses) open when we take a walk. Unfortunately, many people pass up picking opportunities for reasons their ancestors would be confused by.
Imagine hiking on a wooded trail in the summertime in Portugal on a brookside path and coming upon a tiny rural town: narrow pathways winding through terraced farm plots along a few simply structured houses and barns. The active natural spring and lack of electrical poles made me assume they were off the grid. Of all my walks in the forest, I never imagined I’d find such a place seemingly transporting me back in time. I felt the allure to live there and escape the world for a while.
As a warm breeze picked up, I caught a whiff of a fig tree’s tropical aroma. The trees weren’t within my line of sight, but as I turned the corner I could see clusters of the distinct five-lobed leaves waving in the wind. The trees nestled between two harvest storage shacks in a nook where passersby would pay them no mind, even when loaded with fruit. However, it was too early in the summer for figs, and that didn’t matter. As delicious as figs are, the leaves have unbelievable aromatics and are abundant on healthy trees. It’s definitely one of my favorites for all mediums of flavor infusions. A little goes a long way and surprisingly retains most of its potency when dried.
Finding a fig tree was quite nice and satisfying, but that wasn’t all. A huge citrus tree heavy with small oranges was just around the bend, and chamomile was in full bloom growing along the pathway.
Flash forward a few months—I’m back in Japan seeking a scenic adventure. I did some digging and discovered the Shimanami Kaido, a cycling route that hops you through a series of tiny islands between Hiroshima and Ehime. Not only is it beautiful, but the area is known for its citrus. The green, yellow and orange-dotted trees are everywhere, visible along the beautiful oceanside views from the roads and suspension bridges.
Carried by ocean breezes along the windy roads, a fig’s familiar coconutty aroma hit my nose once again. At an especially sharp bend, I looked up to find a mature grouping of trees extending over a brick wall heavy with the most voluptuous figs. So welcoming I couldn’t help but partake in one while my burning legs recovered from climbing a hill. The most delicious reprieve…
Seeing figs and oranges together on two occasions while traveling in two completely different countries made me think of the culinary expression, “What grows together goes together.”
Fig Leaf & Citrus Zest Amazake
1 qt mason jar with lid
250g rice koji
250g cooked rice
500g water
1 large dried fig leaf
Zest from one large orange
Add all of the ingredients listed to the mason jar. Screw on the lid and shake until everything is evenly distributed. Crack the lid and allow the amazake to sweeten up over a few days in a spot that’s slightly warm. At least once a day, screw the lid on tight, shake and leave the lid cracked until the liquid is sweet. When it’s ready, heating it in a saucepan on the stovetop until it just comes to a simmer to enjoy as a sweet porridge is pretty great with umeboshi granola on top.
Infusing amazake with aromatics is by far one of the best ways to blossom the flavor combination. Take a walk in the neighborhood, rediscover the fruit that’s been there all along and use koji to transform it into your next fleeting favorite. We can’t wait to see what inspires you to celebrate what’s truly local.