Huge Figs

This morning I went to one of the local produce markets to stock up on fruits and veggies for the week, and bought a pack of figs. I've seen these figs there before, but they've usually been moldy so I passed on buying any. But today, the packs were in good condition, and I decided to try them. The most noteworthy thing about these figs is the size. The photo shows a coffee mug for perspective. Each fig is roughly the size of two golf balls. I'm eating them right now as part of a late breakfast, and they are quite good.

We often see produce that is a bit larger than life here. The average cabbage head is the size of a bowling ball; celery stalks are over two feet long. Occasionally, I've seen apples larger than softballs. Most produce is not terribly expensive, even by Australian price standards. I bought a whole cart full of produce for about A$40, with these figs being one of the more expensive items (A$5). Obviously, the best places to go are the local produce stores/stands, not the grocery store duopoly. I've noticed the grocery store produce tends to be chemically treated (with things like preservative gas on bananas, for example), or otherwise is just plain crap. I've bought avocados that despite looking ripe on the outside, were very unripe (or flat-out beyond ripe) on the inside. The added benefit of patronizing the produce stores is that in turn supports the local farmers (corporations have a tendency to push prices and quality down too far).