Are Figs Non Vegetarian Fruit: Fig is such a fruit, you must have heard about its many benefits. From your stomach to your bones, consumption of figs has always been counted among the beneficial fruits. In India, dried figs are consumed extensively. But why do people following Jainism not eat figs despite it being a fruit? It is often said about fig that it is a ‘non-vegetarian fruit’. But what is the truth behind all these things? Recently, actress Shehnaz, who went from acting to the world of YouTube, shared a video on social media, after which the discussion started again whether ‘Fig is a non-veg fruit?’ Are figs actually vegetarian or non-vegetarian? Let us tell you the whole truth.
Are there wasp corpses in figs?
Regarding fig, it is believed that it can be a kind of “non-vegetarian” fruit, due to which followers of Jainism and vegans avoid including it in their diet. Actually, the reason behind this is a process which takes place during the formation of this fruit. The fig begins as an inverted flower. Due to this shape, normal pollinators such as wind or bees are unable to spread fig pollen. In such a situation, pollinating wasps help in converting the fig flower into fruit. The female wasp enters a small hole in the flower so that she can lay eggs in it. During this process, her antennae and wings break and she is unable to come out, due to which she dies and remains inside the same flower.
An enzyme called fisin is found in figs, due to which the body of the wasp gets digested in it. This engine breaks the wasp’s body into proteins. The wasp eggs hatch, producing larvae, which after mating fly out of the fig. Thus, each fig fruit has the potential for one wasp to die before it can become a fruit. But since the wasp’s body has been digested, when you eat figs you are not eating the wasp’s body.
Shehnaz, who was seen with Shahid Kapoor in the film ‘Ishq-Vishk’, does travel vlogging these days. He himself has shared this video.
