Shanglaozhuang Figs

Shanglaozhuang Figs

　　Shanglaozhuang figs are a specialty of Shanglaozhuang Township, Dongping County, Tai’an City, Shandong Province. The leaves of Shanglaozhuang figs are large and green, while the fruits come in various shapes such as oblate, spherical, pear-shaped, and jar-shaped. Their skin is yellowish-green, the flesh is milky yellow, and they have a sweet flavor with a rich, refreshing aroma.

　　Figs are also known as Didian Tree, Ayi, Azang, Yingguo, or Udumbara. They were first recorded in the "Herbs for Famine Relief." Fig cultivation in China began before the Tang Dynasty, with a history of over a thousand years.

　　Dongping County has a long history of fig cultivation, though previously they were mainly grown as ornamental plants. In the spring of 2000, Shanglaozhuang Township introduced fig cultivation on over 1,300 acres. The trees are now in their fruit-bearing period.

　　There are four varieties of figs introduced in Shanglaozhuang Township, with the most common being the Brown Turkey variety. The transplanted seedlings show strong growth advantages: the fruits are large, with high sugar content, early fruit setting, and three-year-old seedlings have larger canopies than trees over four years old in other regions. The yield is 1,200–1,500 kilograms per acre, which is over 200 kilograms higher than that of same-aged trees in other areas.

　　Figs are one of the oldest and rarest fruit trees in the world. The fruit contains up to 74.3% carbohydrates, including 15%–20% sugar and 18%–20% water content. It is also rich in vitamins A and C, offering high nutritional value. The fruit can stimulate appetite, promote saliva production, and help relieve diarrhea. The leaves can be used medicinally to treat hemorrhoids, giving them certain medicinal benefits. In addition to being eaten fresh, the fruit can also be made into canned goods, dried fruit, jam, or preserved by drying in the sun. Last year, Shanglaozhuang Township established a fig processing plant capable of producing dried fruit and canned goods, and the products are selling well.