Melissa Natura, snaillike oven-dried figs for sale.

Melissa Natura, snaillike oven-dried figs or "the Snails"

Figs origins
The word fig derives from the greek sykon, voice of oriental origins from which the plant itself comes from. The root of sykon derives from phyo (= produce), because of the fertility of this plant. Others think to the Hebrew therm phag that has the same meaning. The name of the Italian figs produced by Melissa Natura is the "dottato bianco di Calabria" (scientific name: Ficus carica).

The Snails, snaillike oven-dried figs

Method of preparation of the product

The figs are prepared according to a traditional recipe. The figs are cut in a half, equals in size, leaving them united in the narrowest side: that of the petiole. The figs are then dried in the sun on special mats of reeds. The figs are then selected by the Melissa Natura, chosen for both form and color, where the color has to be white. Those destined for "The Snails" must all be of the same size. The procedures for processing figs occur exclusively and strictly manually.

Once selected and dried figs are salted and stuffed in the Melissese tradition with a preparation of sugar and cinnamon, with the addition of walnuts or almonds and orange peel and lemon. Then figs are pressed manually so that the two parts fit together perfectly, clutching each other's goodness and flavors of this wonderful fruit. So figs are baked and cured at 200 ° (sterilization of the product). Immediately after cooking figs are cooled down in special rooms and then packaged.

Packaging

The snaillike oven-dried figs are packaged with two different presentations: the first is to use almonds for the filling of figs, the second is to use nuts.

A1  Snails with almonds gr. 250/500

The dottato bianco figs are chosen for their size and then stuffed with toasted almonds and orange peel.

Ingredients: 92% Calabrian figs type "dottato bianco" baked, Italian almonds 5%, sugar 3%, cinnamon and orange peel.

A2  Snails with nuts gr. 250/500

The dottato bianco figs are chosen for their size and then stuffed with toasted nuts and orange and lemon peel.

Ingredients: 92% Calabrian figs type "dottato bianco" baked, Italian nuts 5%, sugar 3%, cinnamon and orange and lemon peel.

Gastronomic usage
Figs are typically consumed in autumn and winter. Mainly the consumption takes place during the Christmas holidays. The fig is eaten as a dessert after lunch or as a typical and traditional dinner. Figs may be accompanied by a sweet wine made from Greco Bianco and Malvasia grapes typical of our places DOC of Melissa and Ciro'.

Nutritional values
Dried figs are rich in potassium and contain a certain amount of iron, calcium, phosphorus and vitamins A, B1, B2 and PP. 100 grams of dry product provides 249 Kcal.