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One of my favorite fig varieties is Horai. Also called "Australian" by some here in Thailand. The best I've been able to discover, from translating a Japanese article, is that the variety originally came to Japan from the city of Penglai in China several hundred years ago. They apparently call it Penglai (Horai) Persimmon 蓬莱柿広島イチジク 蓬莱.
The plant is a vigorous grower which does very well even in the rainy tropics. The leaves are large, similar to Flanders, fragrant and make excellent tea. It is an extremely productive plant, only my Peter's Honey made more figs last year. It can easily grow two meters tall in a single season if not pinched. The figs are medium size, the skin fairly thick, and the eyes remain closed up until the fig ripens, when the eyes split open in a characteristic 3 or 4 way split. The taste can be quite sweet, but depends on getting enough sun and being allowed to fully ripen at least one more day after the eye opens. If harvested early the fig has a slightly acid bite like an orange. The fig has a nutty seed crunch even though it isn't caprified. Pictures to follow after I resize them.
The plant is a vigorous grower which does very well even in the rainy tropics. The leaves are large, similar to Flanders, fragrant and make excellent tea. It is an extremely productive plant, only my Peter's Honey made more figs last year. It can easily grow two meters tall in a single season if not pinched. The figs are medium size, the skin fairly thick, and the eyes remain closed up until the fig ripens, when the eyes split open in a characteristic 3 or 4 way split. The taste can be quite sweet, but depends on getting enough sun and being allowed to fully ripen at least one more day after the eye opens. If harvested early the fig has a slightly acid bite like an orange. The fig has a nutty seed crunch even though it isn't caprified. Pictures to follow after I resize them.
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