Cotio

lampo (in Portugal)

There are in Portugal the following figs bearing those names individually or associated…

Verdeal – one word only – a white large Smyrna variety , a very flat fig with marked ribs a particular green skin (sort of jade green), red/carmine pulp very close to the one shown tonight, with a great number of very tiny seeds. Dries well, but difficult to find and not easy to root

Côtio – just one word – an average size Common white fig also a flat but more roundish shape, green skin and light strawberry/pink pulp, highly productive tree, once ripe it sticks to its branch and dries there until it is picked up. For centuries the most popular as it was the backbone of our dry fig exports.
Farmers would force polination of Côtios to get better yields of a more flavored and bigger fig.
There are also black côtios, similar to white’s but difficult to find.

Côtio-Verdeal – two words – a white large Common fig, green skin and red/carmine pulp, very prolific and with Violeta and Black Bourjassote they may ripen figs through November. For some reason, this variety does not easily accept caprification.

Very few people grow Verdeal figs (Smyrna)… a lot grow Côtio and some, not many, have Côtio- Verdeal. People tend not to be very specific when talking figs. When they say Côtio, I think that there is no confusion.. and when saying Verdeal, in most cases they mean Côtio-Verdeal

Condit Monograph

Cótio: (syn. Malaguenho Branco). Described by Mello Leotte (1901) and Bobone (1932)—the latter with illustrations—as the most important commercial variety of Algarve. The orchards of Lameira are composed almost wholly of Cótio trees. At Cacela, it is known as Malaguenho Bravo.

Breba crop none. Second-crop figs medium, turbinate; neck short and thick or none; stalk short; color green; pulp carmine; texture coarse. Quality good, especially for drying.

External Links

• http://figs4funforum.arghchive.com/post/c_-_tia-verdeal-still-growing-and-ripening-6583344