Register  |   | 
 
Encanto Farms Nursery > Topics > How to ID Brown Turkish Figs from Brown Turkey variety?
 
 


Reply
  Author   Comment  
Ogorodnitsa

Registered:
Posts: 38
Posted Reply with quote  #1 
An acquaintance of mine in Turkey told me about a tasty  "Brown Turkish" fig. Immediately, I presumed that he meant "Brown Turkey," but I could be wrong. 

Surely there are other brown/purple figs grown in Turkey that are different from the fig commonly known as "Brown Turkey" here, right? If this were a different fig than our "Brown Turkey," how would I be able to differentiate one from the other?
__________________
Pennsylvania, Zone 6B
drphil69

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 803
Posted Reply with quote  #2 
Brown Turkey is not from Turkey.  I believe the turkey in BT refers to the bird.  
__________________
Phil - Zone 7A - Newark, DE Newbie fig lover just trying to learn.
Ogorodnitsa

Registered:
Posts: 38
Posted Reply with quote  #3 
Oh wow...Phil, I had no idea that Brown Turkey isn't from Turkey! Thanks! :)
__________________
Pennsylvania, Zone 6B
rafaelissimmo

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 1,473
Posted Reply with quote  #4 
Actually Phil, I've never heard that. I always thought the Turkey in Brown Turkey meant the country and not the tryptophan enriched bird. One of us is dead wrong. Time to find a wikipedia link or something!
__________________
Zone 7b, Queens, New York
Ruuting

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 613
Posted Reply with quote  #5 
That's nobody's business but the Turks'.

__________________
Rui
Southeast CT, zone 6B
sdpmd

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 17
Posted Reply with quote  #6 
Turkey (the bird) is a native N. American bird. There are no native N. American figs. So, BT figs likely aren't named after the bird but rather the country of Turkey which has native figs. I have not seen a BT fig- I assume it is brownish in color?
__________________
Steve Penner
Eastborough, Kansas
Zone 6a/b

And the trees said to the fig tree, 'You come and reign over us.'  But the fig tree said to them, 'Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruit and go hold sway over the trees?'  Judges 9:10,11 ESV
drphil69

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 803
Posted Reply with quote  #7 
I've heard its not from Turkey, figured someone named it here.  Anyone with good info on it?
__________________
Phil - Zone 7A - Newark, DE Newbie fig lover just trying to learn.
Ruuting

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 613
Posted Reply with quote  #8 
Here's a little bit of light reading for those looking to see exactly how many strains of "Brown Turkey" they may have in their collection :)


HILGARDIA
A Journal of Agricultural Science Published by
the California Agricultural Experiment Station
_____________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________
VOL. 23 FEBRUARY, 1955 No. 11
_____________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________
FIG VARIETIES: A MONOGRAPH 1, 2 IRA J. CONDIT 3

http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/files/datastore/391-296.pdf

Page 425 describes Brown Turkey.
Page 467 describes San Piero.

Being a Portuguese speaker, I have to wonder if "Piero" was converted to "Peru", which sounds very similar. Peru means Turkey in Portuguese...
__________________
Rui
Southeast CT, zone 6B
drphil69

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 803
Posted Reply with quote  #9 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ruuting
Here's a little bit of light reading for those looking to see exactly how many strains of "Brown Turkey" they may have in their collection :)


HILGARDIA
A Journal of Agricultural Science Published by
the California Agricultural Experiment Station
_____________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________
VOL. 23 FEBRUARY, 1955 No. 11
_____________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________
FIG VARIETIES: A MONOGRAPH 1, 2 IRA J. CONDIT 3

http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/files/datastore/391-296.pdf

Page 425 describes Brown Turkey.
Page 467 describes San Piero.

Being a Portuguese speaker, I have to wonder if "Piero" was converted to "Peru", which sounds very similar. Peru means Turkey in Portuguese...


Thanks! And on p 429, it says Brown Turkey is undoubtedly a European variety named locally in England. It does not say it was named for the bird... Do they have turkeys in England?
__________________
Phil - Zone 7A - Newark, DE Newbie fig lover just trying to learn.
Ruuting

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 613
Posted Reply with quote  #10 
I would imagine those crafty B@$tards have populated everything but the Arctic, Antarctica, and Australia!
They do have them in Europe.
__________________
Rui
Southeast CT, zone 6B
GregMartin

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 550
Posted Reply with quote  #11 
Rui...thanks...love TMBGs!  If anyone from this board made that video then fig cuttings would be what was taken, not a statue!
__________________
zone 5 Maine
Seeking: Saint Martin, Naples White, Black Tuscan, Bécane, French Alps, Abruzzi, Tenica, Wild Mountain Figs from the coldest corners  (Iranian, Turkish or other...would love seeds too)
Ogorodnitsa

Registered:
Posts: 38
Posted Reply with quote  #12 
Rui- I woke up this morning humming this song :)

Just to add more flame to the fire...the UC Davis data on F4F states that Brown Turkeys figs are "originally from Provence in France" http://figs4fun.com/Info/Info_Brown_Turkey.html

So now we have England, France, and Turkey as possible suspects Any other thoughts? :) 
__________________
Pennsylvania, Zone 6B
ohjustaguy

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 324
Posted Reply with quote  #13 
Quote:
Originally Posted by sdpmd
Turkey (the bird) is a native N. American bird. There are no native N. American figs. So, BT figs likely aren't named after the bird but rather the country of Turkey which has native figs. I have not seen a BT fig- I assume it is brownish in color?


Figs may not have originated in America but people do breed new strains here (I believe Panache is American bred). This goes for many other fruits, citrus, mangos, stone fruit. So you can have citrus/mangos/figs with American names if the breeder chooses.

That said, I have no idea why it's called BT...
__________________
San Jose 9b
http://www.kevinsedibleyard.com/
Previous Topic | Next Topic
Print
Reply