Fake Paratjal Rimada Warning

Just as a warning. Last year I bought what I thought was a Paratjal Rimada from Marius.
Well as it turns out it's just a panache. I had some concerns when the leaves started to look like my Panache.

Well there were others who also got scammed. Here's the thread. He's burned a few us collectors multiple times.

I'd avoid buying from him in the future.

mnedelcu
on Ebay

https://www.ourfigs.com/forum/figs-home/372926-paratjal-rimada-warning

Tasting the Chicago Hardy 2018

Tasting the Chicago Hardy
Picked 9/27/18
1 crop

This will be the last year I review this fig.

The Chicago Hardy fig has become a fairly common fig in the fig world. Many folks have at least one type of Chicago Hardy like figs in their collection. Why? It's easy to attain and it is a good average fig.

It's also known to be cold hardy, which is huge appeal to most northern climate growers.

This particular one I picked tasted much better than before. It's a berry type that hits all the mark for a good average fig.

A main crop fig that ripens in ground here in Seattle. A great entry level fig into the hobby, since it's easily attainable, cheap and hard to kill.

Chicago Hardy (9/26/18) Much better than the last one

Main

Taste: 7

Sweetness: 7

Size: 5 (41 grams)

Productivity: 4

Total = 23

Tasting Figs in Singapore with Fig Agro Lab 2018

Back in May, I flew to Singapore and met up with my two friends from Fig Agro Lab. Myka and Ryan.

https://www.facebook.com/FigAgroLab/

Myka was kind enough to drive 4hrs to get some figs for me to try from Dato Syed Elias. He is arguably one of the largest fig growers in Asia.

It was extremely fun to talk to growers in different parts of the world. For them growing figs in Singapore is like growing citrus in Seattle. It can be done but it takes a lot of effort to produce amazing results. The heavy rain season and extreme heat is a constant onslaught on young fig trees. And without proper protection folks can lose an entire collection.

Sounds like there's a lot of research happening in this part of the world to grow the largest, most productive, and best tasting cultivar of figs.

In this video I tasted:

1. Brazilian XP - the best of the bunch
2. Red Sham
3. Super Jumbo
4. Baleares 1

Tasting the World's Stinkiest Fruit in Singapore 2018

Back in May on my trip to Singapore. We ate the very pungent Durian from Singapore. It's a fruit so stinky that not even Andrew Zimmern can eat it. That tells you something about it's potency.

In this video we crack one open in the hotel room. Boy was that a mistake.

Seattle Washington Fig Tasting Event 2019 - Reserve your spots

After such a fun an successful Fig Tasting Event. I'm already looking forward to organizing another event for 2019.

Seattle's Best Fig Tasting Event 2019

My name is Ben B. Nguyen and I grow over 300 varieties of fig trees in the Pacific Northwest area. My goal has always been to spread the love of figs to backyard growers. The fig is an amazing fruit. And there's more than just your celeste, desert king or brown turkey fig available.

This event is to open your eyes to vast varieties of figs.

Oh yeah it's the best because it's the only Fig Tasting Event in Seattle. =)

If you are a fig enthusiast, nursery owner, fruit society member, or restaurateur and you would like to reserve your spot for the 2019 Fig Tasting Event, please email me to reserve your spot.

binbinnine@yahoo.com

For vendor sponsorship please email binbinnine@yahoo.com or contact 206 486 2151

Extremely limited Spots Available.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1754636264633715/?active_tab=about

Date:
10/06/19
Time: 3:30PM

Location:
Renton, WA

Below is a video from our 1st Annual - 2018 Fig Tasting Event in Seattle

Fig Addict Meetup in Seattle - We tasted and ranked 26 different kinds of figs

Fig Addict's Meetup 2018 in Seattle. I had a really fun time tasting and scoring figs with this group. We geeked out about figs, made some new friends. Tasted and scored 26 figs plus a couple of fake black madeiras.

It was fun to share and review figs together. This is what it's all about at the end of the day. Having fun with figs and sharing with others.

​​​​​​​

Thanks to everyone who came and brought figs to share.

26 fig varieties! Watch the video to see which are the top 3!

1. Little Ruby
2. Petite Negri
3. Negronne
4. Santa Fe Unknown
5. Gillette
6. 100th St Unk
7. MVSB
8. Negronne
9. RDB
10. LSU Hollier
11. LSU ORourke
12. Palermo Sicily
13. Longue Daout
14. Kadota
15. Peter's Honey
16. Chicago Hardy
17. Dauphine Raintree
18. Florea
19. Latarulla
20. Nordland Main
21. Qalaat al Madiq
22.Takoma Violet
23. Improved Celeste
24. Bourjasotte Grise
25. Black Zadar
26. Golden Riverside

Tasting the Socorro Black Fig 2018

Socorro Black Fig
Picked 9/19/18
1 crop

This is one sexy fig! And oh so productive! It' a 2yr old tree in the Misco pot.

Look how loaded it is! 10 figs on one little branch!

The shape of it is reminiscent of a preto.

I was thoroughly surprised when I cut into the fig.The color is much like a the de la gloria or a col de dame type.

I really enjoyed this fig. The berry taste was delicious and sweetness was perfect. If the black madeira was Usain Bolt. The Socorro Black would be a the bronze medalist.

I love it's productivity, beautiful color and its ability to ripen in September. This will make my top 10.

44grams

Socorro Black (9/19/18)

Main

Taste: 9

Sweetness: 8

Size: 5 (44 grams)

Productivity: 10

Total = 33

Tasting the BB Golden Riverside Fig 2018

BB Golden Riverside Fig
Picked 9/19/18
1 crop

Previous year's post.
2015 
2016
2017


Oh my beloved Golden Riverside. I've had her for about 3yrs and this year is the best I've seen from it. The tree shows a ton of productivity this year and the fruit is larger than ever. It's out growing its pot and I may just plant it in ground this year.

I've had a lot of requests for cuttings from this tree. It's just one tree so sorry folks there isn't much to go around.

The Golden Riverside is one crop fig. That ripens in September here.

On a day with 8 other main crop varieties and a couple not shown on camera. The Golden Riverside has stood out as still the Queen of main crop figs for me.

Mislabelled Black Madeira, Socorro Black, Golden Riverside, Vincenzo Main, Natalina Main

I really do enjoy this fig. There's so many pluses about it. It's produces huge fruit, productive, tasty and sweet. It's rare to get that kind of combo in fig. 

This year the flavors are honey like with great juiciness. I love that the juiciness are more like honey water than thick molasses. The sweetness is right where I like my figs to be. The syconium has a nice bite to it as well. Like biting into a firm pluot without the acidity. 

I took this fig to work and let some coworkers try it, one person said they are have a figasm as they were eating LOL.

Ben's Golden Riverside (9/19/18)

Main

Taste: 10

Sweetness: 8.5

Size: 16 (151 grams)

Productivity: 6

Total = 40.5

Tasting the perfect Kathleen's Black Fig 2018

Kathleen's Black Fig AKA De La Reina??
Picked 9/19/18
1 Crop

2017 Kathleen's Black

My faith has been restored in this fig. The 1st ripe fig on this tree was a terrible. However this perfectly ripe KB was beyond incredible.

 

This is a berry flavor fig with hints of caramel the longer you let it ripen on the tree. The taste was awesome. Best yet on this tree. Add in the fact that it was a 71 gram main crop put this score on this fig as one of the highest so far.

Compared to the wimpy previous kathleens black this one is huge 71.4 grams

Kathleen's Black (9/19/18)

Main

Taste: 9

Sweetness: 8

Size: 8 (71.4 grams)

Productivity: 3

Total = 29

Tasting a mislabeled Black Madeira Fig 2018 (Sao Luis Maybe?)

mislabeled Black Madeira Fig
Picked 9/18/18
1 Crop

This might be a Sao Luis. (https://www.facebook.com/timo.fig.9/posts/336741020420862)



Well this is not the first time I've grown a fig that I thought was a black madeira and it turns out that it is not.

These are my sources for BMs.

black madeira Churl82

Black Madeira David Eden

Black Madeira figrific

Black Madeira JFE

black madeira Rfactor

Black Madeira KK

Black Madeira UCD

Black Madeira Daniel Mitre - fake

The sources in green are verified so that leaves just churl82 as the possible source. I myself do not sell figs that have not been verified. I do not want a reputation of being a scammer.

Well as you can see below I'm a bit perplexed to find amber pulp on this "Black Madeira". There's a slim chance that I may have misabeled this fig. Unfortunately I did not write my source on the label. I wish I did. Regardless of what variety it is, the tree however is absolutely loaded and looks beautiful with it's evenly spaced figs on every branch.

Now I have a new quest to figure out what this fig is.

Upon first look of the fig, it exhibits some characteristics of a a Black Madeira the leaf though is definitely not that of a black madeira.

37.9 grams

Well to my surprise when I cut this baby in half it was clear that it is not a black madeira. I'm a bit disappointed as well as excited to see if this was going to taste any good.

Well it was.

Maybe I was tainted by my fake wuhan black madeira last year. And I was left with some very low expectations but this is a legit good fig.

It's sort of a honey berry mix with very good sweetness and a syconium that give its nice firm texture.
I did enjoy this fig and will keep it. Who needs 8 black madeira trees anyways...

Mis labeled Black Madeira (9/19/18)

Main

Taste: 8.5

Sweetness: 8.5

Size: 4 (37.9 grams)

Productivity: 5

Total = 26