Black Bursa

Black Bursa, also called Bursa Siyahi, is a Turkish fig variety native to the Bursa Province in northwestern Turkey and grown by a small number of farmers across roughly ten villages there, organized through the Bursa Black Fig Grower Union. Importantly, it is a Smyrna-type fig, meaning — unlike most common fig varieties — it genuinely requires active pollination by the fig wasp to set fruit; in Turkey, male caprifigs are hung on the female trees several times each early summer to accomplish this. Bursa Black Fig has geographically indicated (protected origin) status in Turkey. The fruit is large, rounded, with deep purple to nearly black skin that is smooth, glossy, and easy to peel, and a bright to dark red, dense interior. It is considered a top commercial fig variety in Turkey and one of the more prized fresh-eating figs exported to Europe and beyond, valued for a rich flavor and relatively good post-harvest durability compared to many other fresh fig varieties. Because it requires actual wasp pollination, growers outside regions where the fig wasp is established (most of the United States, aside from small parts of California) generally cannot get it to fruit reliably and should be aware of this real limitation before acquiring it.