Most people reading this have probably never seen them before. I bought them for the first time in Vancouver at a market and as they were rock hard and inedible, I let them ripen for a few days. They started getting darker brown, shriveling up, and oozing a little. Well, that looked gross, so I threw them out. I guessed it was too warm and they were going bad instead of ripening properly.
As it turns out, that's what they're supposed to do. See how some are darker than others? Their nectar seeps out as they become the more shriveled version of themselves that you may actually recognize.
Don't worry, it's not your fault, since they don't grow here. If you lived in Iran or Tunisia you might recognize them. I assume this is one of the main types of the myriad that are grown there. In fact, I've only ever seen fresh ones on sale here from Tunisia, and generally I prefer the syrupy sweetness of the Iranian ones. They're different varietals, after all. Still, the Tunisian ones are the ones you'll find in this state and can let ripen on your counter (or in the case of Montreal in Fall, you can wait...and wait...and wait...), eating one by one as they ripen. If you leave them until they're just starting to darken and burst the sweetness is mild and the inside is still a little starchy - a world of difference from the dried fruit they can become. Just like people who've never had a fresh fig think they all taste like the dried ones. Well, does a grape taste like a raisin?
What do you get if you solve this riddle?
Well, hopefully a little laugh. A chuckle maybe. It's not "ha-ha" funny, really...It's more like when I was at a farmers' market in the rain standing partially under a tent, saying "It's not bad in here," just as a huge downpour of accumulated water ran off the edge of the tent onto the side and back half of my body...See? Hilarious. My life is hilarious.
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