Is there a self-fertile cultivar that tastes just like a Calimyrna? As in you can't tell the difference between the two in a blindfold test.
If not, which one comes the closest to the Calimyrna flavour?

The short answer is, "no".  That was the whole goal of the breeding program at UCR in the 50s, and they were unsuccessful.

Preto maybe

Richie sorry but you are dead wrong. Preto is a dark fig that ripens late and is almost identical to Black Madeira. The pulp is brownish-reddish. It has one of the best flavors I have noted in an unpollinated fig. Calimyrna is totally-I MEAN TOTALLY- different. Calimyrna is a type of Smyrna fig, meaning it will only ripen if caprified by the Blastophaga wasp. Therefore, it only grows and ripens in California. The seeds are very crunchy, and fig newtons are made from Calimyrna figs. The pulp is golden to at times pinkish. The Sierra fig (a common fig) was bred to mimic the Calimyrna but, apparently failed to replicate the flavor. You can try that one, it is in stores now.

Is not orphan supposed to be the closest
Cian

One important ingredient to build the unique taste, sweetness and flavors of the pollinated figs,be they fresh/ripen or dry, is the fig seed kernel, a sort of minuscule almond you chew and melt in your mouth with the fig pulp, syrups and jellies on both the fresh or the dried fruit. That tasty kernel paste , a sort of marzipan, will only be present on Smyrna types, main crop San Pedro or pollinated Commons.

Non pollinated figs will not be developing any kernel inside the seed envelope and although such seeds are there, they are just empty shells with no particular taste or flavor

Along the Med basin, rural communities would stock the dry figs, mostly Smyrna, for consumption during the winter time and to enhance the fruit flavors these figs are subject to a light roasting in their clay ovens just after the bread is baked.
Layers of roasted figs having in between some bay leaves, fennel and a few carob leaves..were stocked inside chestnut cases for the cold months.


 
Francisco
Portugal

Thank you for the explanation, Francisco.  So basically, when one integral component is missing, the taste simply cannot be reproduced. And as Smyrna figs won't produce here, I'll have to be content with one of the hundred(s) cultivars that do.  So is there a cool-hardy fig that has a more figgy taste than fruit or berry?  Whilst I like raspberries, grape, etc., I don't wish that to be the flavour I taste when I bite into a fig or in a traditional fig recipe.   

RL,
I am not keen on that particular subject  (cold hardy figs)
My region is sort of semi-desertic equivalent to zone 11 (on US hardiness standards), It never snows and average minimum temps on the 40/50ish F. Long hot and very dry summers, close to sea shores with lots of Sun..rather low relative humidity.

I would say that the Bordeaux, Hardy Chicago, Dalmatie are good options for your climate and with great genuine fig flavors. Surprisingly, as far as I am concerned,   Preto and BM, being originated in much warmer climates seem to be doing quite well (with adequate protection of course) in much colder regions
Certainly other members will give you far better advice based on actual experience, growing their figs in areas similar to yours.
Whatever one may feel on the palate,  the predominant flavors of all edible Ficus Carica shall always be figgy, more or less acidic and complex.. but figgy!

Francisco
Portugal

My 2 Cents:There are many cultivars that taste much better than Calimyrna cultivar,really, many cultivars do,but,their interior is Dark red usually,not amber ,light pink like Calimyrna so ,they were not accepted by the food market for ,making fig newton for their dark paste.
Figo Preto Madeira black ,Italian 258,Col de Dame(all colors),Vasilika Sika,Ischia Black,and a few others caprified or not,are way superior to Calimyrna figs , in taste and flavor.
What they did not have was :Amber interior!.

Thanks everyone!!! You all are the reason why I LOVE this forum!!!! <3

One thing I'd like to bring up, "self fertile" is wrong, they just produce edible figs without pollination. They don't produce any viable seeds.

Fresh calimyrnas are super. They are sweet like sugar and very large.

Hi GRamaley,
I've got some reading for you here : http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/fig-pollination-myth-kill-6717719?highlight=myth+kill&pid=1286833190

Parthenocarpic fig trees ( commonly named self pollinated ) do produce viable seed. They are just fewer, hence not the same strong nutty taste.
As of now, I'm left with one treeling from that test. It is 2 years old with no dormancy (kept inside), and no signs of figlets for now.

Hi JDS, Supr interesting seedling project.

JDS:Your seedling from,a Parthenocarpic fig,should be very close to mother tree,because it was not crossed with a caprifig.
It is rare but it happen,that a few seeds on a tree to be alive and produce new seedlings ,same as mother,in quality.
That is why when discuss fig tree ,no one can be always correct because there are so many exceptions to the rule.
Thanks for your work of experimentation.

Hi Herman2,
Thanks.
There was a theory were parthenocarpic seedlings are all smyrna ... I'll see if she turns out to be a dropper in my Zone7.
Just to let you know, this year my fig trees even went wilder ! I found two seedlings -presence of the cotyledons- growing wild in the garden. One under my Pastiliere -last year a sparrow damaged one of the figs- and one near my "green longue d'aout" ( I threw some late ripe fruits).
I never thought that this could happen in a Zone7 climate - but here, last winter was sort of mild though .
One at least will take the winter outside, and I'll see if a seedling can handle it ... perhaps with a bit of protection ... I'll see ...
Funny enough, the leaf of the seedling of glda is so far consistent to the mother tree . That does not seem to be the case for my ufti seedling.

jdsfrance,

Usually, there are no hard rules in nature and we can always find exceptions.

In some cases parthenocarpic figs can produce some viable seeds - a not very common and well documented process called apomixis, known in plants as Agamospermy.
That means we can say all parthenocarpic figs always have some viable seeds?
I don't think we can make such a generalization.