Stop Overlooking Fig Leaves—Here’s How to Unlock Their Flavor

My dad had a gift for plants, and in our small Rhode Island hometown, he managed to coax even tropical cuttings into life. His greatest triumph was a fig tree, a little taste of the Mediterranean in our New England home. Each year it yielded only a handful of figs, six or eight at most, and we savored each one. Sweet, jammy figs hardly need an introduction, but it’s their leaves that left the strongest impression on me.

Fig leaves have long been evocative, with images of Adam and Eve using them for cover in the Garden of Eden. They carry a verdant aroma with notes of toasted coconut, vanilla, almond, and pandan. The leaves are versatile and transformative: Once toasted, steeped, or ground, they add flavor to a myriad dishes. They can also be used whole to wrap foods like fish before cooking. Their alluring scent is so distinctive that I can pick it up walking down the street and immediately know a fig tree is nearby. In my Brooklyn neighborhood, many of the fig trees were first planted by Italian immigrants in their front yards, and I still plan my walks around them—a habit I carried with me when I visited Greece as well. Lucky are those with neighbors kind enough to share from their trees.

While the fruit often overshadows the leaves, they hold their own culinary appeal. Their flavor, fragrance, and versatility deserve their own spotlight, and there are more ways to incorporate them into your culinary routine than you might expect.

Where to Find Fig Leaves

Fig trees thrive in warm, dry Mediterranean climates and in the US most of the domestic figs are from California. However, they can also be found throughout the South, Southwest, and Southeast. With the right care, though, fig trees can even be cultivated in colder climates (as my dad did), by moving them indoors during the winter or protecting them with heavy coverings, such as tarps.

In my New York City apartment, I don’t have the luxury of a tree at my disposal, but you can always count on finding me at the Union Square Greenmarket, where New Jersey–based Lani’s Farm sells bundles of the locally grown leaves from June through October. There’s also a thriving community of fig tree enthusiasts on Facebook, quick to share leaves if you’re local. The Fig Tree Growers Network, a public group on Facebook has over 140,000 members who share a wealth of information, including growing tips, harvesting advice, and cultivation techniques. Also on Facebook, Northeast Fig Growers is often filled with cutting swaps and photos of abundant harvests. And if you don’t live somewhere with fig trees nearby, there are even farmers on Etsy who will ship leaves (both fresh and dried) across the country.

How to Use Fig Leaves

The practice of wrapping food in fig leaves goes back to classical Greece: The word thrion (“fig leaf”) appears in Aristophanes’ Acharnians (fifth century BCE), and later Greek lexica explain thrion as a dish of cheese and honey wrapped in fig leaves.

The younger leaves, which appear early in the season, tend to be softer, smaller, and slightly lighter in color. As the season progresses, the leaves darken to a rich green and become sturdier. Be mindful when handling or foraging fig leaves, as they can sometimes emit a milky sap that can irritate the skin.

To prep the leaves, rinse them well and trim off any thick stems and veins, as they can be too fibrous. The following techniques are quite simple—just a few fig leaves and some basic kitchen tools can transform a dish with surprisingly little effort. Here are a few of my favorite ways to make the most out of fig leaf season:

• Make fig leaf oil. Blanch a handful of fig leaves until they turn bright green; this usually takes about 45 seconds. Immediately shock them in ice water, and squeeze them dry. Blend three parts oil (such as olive or sesame) with one part fig leaves in a blender until slightly warm, then strain. The result is a vivid green oil that’s perfect for drizzling over tomato salad or seared fish. You can also swap some of the infused oil for the oil called for in baking recipes, such as in cakes. It’s also wonderful spooned over rice pudding or vanilla ice cream, where its savory, vegetal quality adds a surprising depth to sweet desserts.
• Make fig leaf dust. Toasting is my favorite way to concentrate the flavors of fig leaves. Arrange the leaves in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in a 300°F (150°C) oven for about 15 minutes, or toast them in a skillet over medium heat for 2 to 4 minutes. The leaves will curl inward as they shrivel, becoming dry, brittle, and deep green. Once the leaves are toasted, pulse them into a fine powder in a food processor and sift through a fine-mesh sieve. The result is a fragrant green dust you can sprinkle over cakes, tarts, puddings, grilled seafood, crudo, dips, crudités, or fresh fruit.
• Make fig leaf sugar or salt. Combine the powdered fig leaves with granulated or turbinado sugar or flaky sea salt. Use the sugar to coat donuts, sprinkle over cookies and cakes, or stir into streusel. Use the salt as a finishing touch for sauces, dips, roasted vegetables, fish, breakfast toasts, or rice. Stored in an airtight jar, it keeps for at least six months. This is my go-to way to enjoy fig leaves well after their brief season has passed. 
• Infuse in a syrup. Combine equal parts sugar and water with a few fig leaves. Bring to a boil until the sugar dissolves, then let steep for an hour. Strain, transfer to a jar, and refrigerate. Use the syrup to sweeten matcha, coffee, or cocktails—or brush it onto baklava for a fragrant twist.
• Steep in milk or cream. Steep a few toasted leaves in warm milk or cream for 20 minutes and then remove and discard (or compost) the leaves. Use the infused liquid to make pastry cream, panna cotta, crème brûlée, custard, or crème anglaise.
• Make whipped cream. Warm the heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat until just below a simmer. Add the toasted fig leaves and let them steep for 20 minutes. Strain, then chill completely before whipping.
• Use fig leaves for wrapping. Thanks to their wide surface area, larger, mature leaves are perfect for wrapping various foods. Use them to encase a fillet of fish for steaming or wrap and grill an entire fish for a dramatic presentation. They’re also ideal for dolma and for wrapping soft cheeses like chèvre. You can also use them as a bed for roasting a whole chicken, so the leaves soak up the rich drippings. Or lay them on a cheeseboard for an attractive presentation.

I hope the next time you come across a fig tree, you reach for the leaves as much as the fruit. Just a handful is enough to change the way you cook. Once you start experimenting, you may look forward to fig season as much as I do.