It’s in fact too early to talk about figs – it’ll still take a bit of time before they are abundantly available on Brussels markets. But as Greece has been on my mind lately (because of work), I wanted to write something Greek-related that was positive and not political. And figs always remind me of Greece.

Figs are wonderful things. Fruity, sweet, green and milky at the same time, a ripe fig smells and tastes like Mediterranean summer. When I manage to get any good ones, I tend to eat them as they are, but I love them as an ingredient, too. I don’t think there is an easier way to turn your green salad into something special than adding pine nuts, white fig quarters and balsamic fig vinegar – it works especially well with rucola. I like purple figs caramelized in the oven with honey or wrapped in pancetta, and as a jam with cheese.

If you are curious about fig fragrances, the first one I’d recommend trying is the classic Diptyque Philosykos. For me, it’s the ultimate fig scent and it encompasses the entire fig tree: from the fruits to the leaves to the bark. There are other good ones: the bracing Jo Malone Wild Fig and Cassis, the fruity Hermes Un Jardin Mediterranee, the creamy Premier Figuer by L’Artisan Parfumeur. My own favourite, however, is the intriguing Womanity by Thierry Mugler (travel spray refill pictured below): it’s a salty fig scent – figs and caviar, according to the notes – and not to everyone’s taste, but if you like it, it’s kind of addictive.

Where I think fig scent works best, however, is in body products. The luscious, milky fruitiness of the fig that I like so much can be a bit boring if you wear it for 10 hours, but it’s perfect in a soap or a shower gel (it reminds me a bit of coconut in that sense, coconut alone doesn’t make for a good perfume either – and fig scents in fact often have a coconutty facet). Philosykos soap and shower gel are amazing, but unless you have a trust fund, not really feasible everyday options. Another one I have already mentioned is Kiehl’s Fig leaf and Sage and & Other Stories have a nice fig range called Fig Fiction.

But my absolute favourite fig product is the fig shower gel by Korres. It smells lovely, doesn’t cost the earth and is, fittingly, produced by a Greek company. I suggest that you all by one, to support our southern friends.