Hi all,  

I just wanted to know what the interest is for Spanish figs in general.

Being from that part of the world myself but having lived in this country for the last 20 years, I have always been biased towards this particular fig region of the world. I humbly think it is like no other in the vast number of known and unknown, yet to be discovered and given name, fig varieties.

I have been collecting Spanish varieties for a long time but never really interested in sharing any ideas, thoughts or even figs themselves with anybody. I actually tried once, foolishly I may add, kind of out of the blue and some people in this forum may still remember how it turned out? :-(

Anyway, I have figs from Malaga for example, in the South East of Spain, the varieties are called Paneta and Brevera. I understand there are many others called this. I wonder what the similarities maybe with others with the same name but from other places such as Italy?

I guess I can add some pics next time but I am just curious if anybody has a broader knowledge as to know if there is any connection between names regardless of each fig's peculiarities or how they develop, grow and produce fruit. 

In Spain, everywhere I go, I see many figs that look and taste like some known cultivars but are called differently in that particular place or town. There are tons of them and always makes me question how exact an already known variety maybe related to its name?

I guess it's just a matter of what it gives (the figs) and its characteristics as to incite any interest even if the name is not a certain thing?

Anybody heard of Tio Paco? It's very appreciated in the South of Spain and one of my favorite "higos". I like Toro Sentado as well and wonder if it has had any interest or anybody else has it in the USA to share thoughts about its growth and characteristics.

Same with Spanish "Cuello de Dama Blanca and Negra" (Coll De dame White/Black) 

Anyway, again, I just wanted to start trading thoughts and ideas with my fellow fig aficionados out there and kind of re-introduce myself to the community.

I look forward to the replies and interaction.

Jay

I'd love to see pics of what you have!

Hi,
Most people don't even care to keep the name of the ones they bought and that were identified by then.
The problem in Mediterranean countries is that people don't care for identifying or giving a name to a cultivar.
So, names can be attached on the go ... and more than often they go by their color .
Moreover, there is no institute referencing fig names. The easiness of figtree propagation makes it hard for someone to patent a cultivar and distribute it. Not easy to make money !
So at some point, identify/name the strains you find, and keep that name attached to them :) .

When you find a new tree, don't hesitate to post pics here, for the pleasure of the eyes :). If you can get some history attached to it, post it too !

What about named varieties that are sold by nurseries. Can you rely on those names,or
do they also assign what ever name they decide on.

Greetings and Welcome, Jay!  There is no doubt that there is general interest in figs from that region and the entire Mediterranean rim. There are so many beautiful figs deriving from the countries in that expanse of lands; it is hard not to be impressed (and envious). The big challenge as you suggest is understanding which figs are directly related or the same cultivars as others going by different names. If one wishes to collect, one would want to collect many cultivars and understand their synonyms rather than collecting the same figs under different names. There is only so much space in one's garden or home and just so many available funds to dedicate to this addiction....   :-) The idea of a cultivar database with synonyms has been discussed and attempted many times, I believe. Synonym accuracy is likely no better than 80% and the data becomes stale even before publishing updates....

Cheers,
Tony