These Groupings are not a standard, but have been discussed in the past on the Fig Forums, and I personally have been using these groupings to choose cultivars (the best and more readily available in each group for my location).
I would like to get some feedback on individual named or unknown cultivars and the flavor groups (new or existing) to which you believe they should belong. I'm well aware that taste is subjective, but I think these groupings would help to decrease the confusion between some named and unknown cultivars in circulation.
"Flavor Groups" are;
Sugar...
Sugar sweet, ranging from lightly sweet to very sweet with added flavor from light maple to brown sugar and range from simple to complex additional flavors. Fig flavor can range from none to strong.Seed crunch can range from none to strong with nutty flavor.
A. Celeste*, improved Celeste*, Southern Brown Turkey*
B. English Brown Turkey, O'Rourke, Italian Ever-bearing, Sal's Corleone, Palermo Red, Sicilian Red, Panevino Dark, Aldo, Weeping Black, Brunswick, Magnolia, Paradiso.
C. California Brown Turkey, Black Jack, , Etc.
Honey...
Honey sweet, ranging from lightly sweet to very sweet with rich (creamy) and or complex additional flavors. Fig flavor can range from none to light. Seed crunch can range from none to strong with nutty flavor.
A. Italian Honey*, Lattarula*,
B. Atreano, Brooklyn White, White Marseilles, Gold, Hollier, Champagne
C. Kadota, Dotatto, Etc.
Adriatic Berry...
Sugar sweet, ranging from lightly sweet to very sweet with berry flavor, yellow or green skin and usually red pulp, with more complex additional flavors developing when fully ripe. Fig flavor can range from none to light. Seed crunch can range from none to strong with nutty flavor.
B. Green Ischia, Conadria,
C. Adriatic JH, Battaglia Green, Green Greek, Adriatic, Strawberry Verte, Calvert, Vasilika Sika, Stella, Etc.
Bordeaux Berry...
Sweet, with a berry taste which is rich with a slightly complex additional flavors, when ripe (jammy interior), other wise it has a standard Dark Flavor. Fig flavor can range from none to light. Seed crunch can range from none to strong with nutty flavor.
A. Ronde de Bordeaux,
B. Violet de Bordeaux, Mission, Vista, Petite Negri, Beers black,
C. Valle Negra, Noir de Caromb, Kathleen Black, Etc.
Dark Berry...
Mildly sweet to very sweet,some degree of berry flavor, and some degree of acidity, some with complex additional flavors. Fig flavor can range from none to some (medium). Seed crunch can range from none to strong with nutty flavor.
A. Marseilles Black VS*, Takoma Violet*,
B. Hardy Chicago, Sal EL, Gino's Black, Portuguese Black, Maltese falcon,
C. Dark Sicilian, Papa John, Scotts Black, Etc.
Exotic Berry?.
(New Group)
B. Fico Preto,
C. Black Madeira, Ischia Black, Etc.
Legend: A = Early, B=Mid Season, C=Late Ripening, * = Hardy (Cold)
I would like to get some feedback on individual named or unknown cultivars and the flavor groups (new or existing) to which you believe they should belong. I'm well aware that taste is subjective, but I think these groupings would help to decrease the confusion between some named and unknown cultivars in circulation.
"Flavor Groups" are;
Sugar...
Sugar sweet, ranging from lightly sweet to very sweet with added flavor from light maple to brown sugar and range from simple to complex additional flavors. Fig flavor can range from none to strong.Seed crunch can range from none to strong with nutty flavor.
A. Celeste*, improved Celeste*, Southern Brown Turkey*
B. English Brown Turkey, O'Rourke, Italian Ever-bearing, Sal's Corleone, Palermo Red, Sicilian Red, Panevino Dark, Aldo, Weeping Black, Brunswick, Magnolia, Paradiso.
C. California Brown Turkey, Black Jack, , Etc.
Honey...
Honey sweet, ranging from lightly sweet to very sweet with rich (creamy) and or complex additional flavors. Fig flavor can range from none to light. Seed crunch can range from none to strong with nutty flavor.
A. Italian Honey*, Lattarula*,
B. Atreano, Brooklyn White, White Marseilles, Gold, Hollier, Champagne
C. Kadota, Dotatto, Etc.
Adriatic Berry...
Sugar sweet, ranging from lightly sweet to very sweet with berry flavor, yellow or green skin and usually red pulp, with more complex additional flavors developing when fully ripe. Fig flavor can range from none to light. Seed crunch can range from none to strong with nutty flavor.
B. Green Ischia, Conadria,
C. Adriatic JH, Battaglia Green, Green Greek, Adriatic, Strawberry Verte, Calvert, Vasilika Sika, Stella, Etc.
Bordeaux Berry...
Sweet, with a berry taste which is rich with a slightly complex additional flavors, when ripe (jammy interior), other wise it has a standard Dark Flavor. Fig flavor can range from none to light. Seed crunch can range from none to strong with nutty flavor.
A. Ronde de Bordeaux,
B. Violet de Bordeaux, Mission, Vista, Petite Negri, Beers black,
C. Valle Negra, Noir de Caromb, Kathleen Black, Etc.
Dark Berry...
Mildly sweet to very sweet,some degree of berry flavor, and some degree of acidity, some with complex additional flavors. Fig flavor can range from none to some (medium). Seed crunch can range from none to strong with nutty flavor.
A. Marseilles Black VS*, Takoma Violet*,
B. Hardy Chicago, Sal EL, Gino's Black, Portuguese Black, Maltese falcon,
C. Dark Sicilian, Papa John, Scotts Black, Etc.
Exotic Berry?.

B. Fico Preto,
C. Black Madeira, Ischia Black, Etc.
Legend: A = Early, B=Mid Season, C=Late Ripening, * = Hardy (Cold)
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