This intriguing recipe from 14th-century Egypt for turning dried figs into fresh ones is very simple. A mixture of honey and saffron is stuffed into the dates which are then placed on a pot with boiling water and leaving the steam to do the rest. Then the figs should be covered and left to rest overnight, after which, so the author explains, “they will become as if they have just been picked.” Whilst this is perhaps an exaggeration, the result is nonetheless spectacular and very tasty.
