Dried or semi-dried figs are a good snack with which to increase energy and raise blood sugar levels quickly. They are also known for their laxative properties. It is thought that they also have cancer-discouraging action.

Figs can be eaten fresh, dried or semi-dried. Figs are a source of potassium, calcium, iron and magnesium.

Figs are thought to have been first cultivated in Egypt. They spread to ancient Crete and subsequently, to ancient Greece where they became a staple in the traditional diet. Figs were regarded with such esteem that laws were created forbidding the export of the best quality figs. Figs were respected in ancient Rome and thought of as a sacred fruit. According to Roman myth, the twin founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus, rested under a fig tree.