Figs, or Anjeer, are a delicious fruit often consumed in dried form in India. Figs are known for their nutritional benefits, such as boosting gut health, strengthening muscles, and improving energy levels. However, some people worry that this 'fruit' might be non-vegetarian. Sounds bizarre, right? How can a fruit that grows on trees be non-vegetarian? This confusion arises from the unique process behind the formation of the fig fruit. Intrigued? Read on to learn more about how figs form and decide whether you would call them vegetarian or non-vegetarian.
Role of Wasps in Fruition of Figs
Figs begin as an inverted closed flower. This shape prevents common pollinators like wind or bees from spreading the fig's pollen. This is where pollinator wasps help the fig tree turn flowers into fruits. A female wasp crawls into the tiny opening of the fig flower to lay her eggs. During the process, her antennae and wings break off, and she is unable to exit, dying shortly afterwards while still inside the flower.
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The fig digests the wasp's body using an enzyme called ficin, which breaks down the body into protein. Her eggs hatch, the larvae mate, and then crawl out of the fig.
For every fig consumed, a wasp likely died inside it to allow it to come to fruition. However, since the wasp's body is absorbed, you will not be eating the insect corpse when biting into the fruit.
According to Consultant Nutritionist Rupali Dutta, pollination is a natural process required for fruition and the role played by bees, wasps or insects does not make the fruit, in this case figs, a non-vegetarian product.
Do you think figs are vegetarian or non-vegetarian?
Many Figs Are Self-Pollinating and Require No Wasps
The figs that are commercially grown and sold in India are usually common or edible figs produced parthenocarpically - that is, without the aid of fig wasps or pollination, according to Beauty Without Cruelty - India, an international educational charitable trust for animal rights. Varieties of figs that fall under this category include Poona, Conadria, Mission, Kadota, and Brown Turkey.
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Some Vegans May Still Eat Figs - Here's Why!
While many people may find figs to be non-vegetarian due to their formation process, some vegans argue that figs are still fit for consumption. This is because veganism is a movement against animal exploitation, while wasp-fig pollination is a natural process that does not involve any human-led animal exploitation.
What is your take on figs? Would you consider them non-vegetarian or vegetarian? Share your views in the comments section.