Fig Leaf Syrup

Fig leaves from the trees out front of the café. Cooked into syrup with sugar. That's it.

Most people know fig fruit. Fig leaves are the surprise — a distinctive green, faintly coconut, almost almond flavor that turns into one of the most interesting syrups we make. We harvest the leaves from our own fig trees at the café, which means we don't have to wait for fig season to make it — the trees give us leaves all summer long.

Locally harvested fig leaves. Sugar. Water. Cooked in small batches at the roastery.

What it tastes like

Green, herbaceous, a little coconut, a hint of toasted almond. Not fruity — the flavor lives entirely in the leaves. If you've never had it, it’s the closest thing to a “new” flavor most people encounter in years.

How to use it

• Fig leaf latte. A splash into steamed milk — the closest thing to a coconut latte without coconut. Add a shot of espresso for a fig leaf latte.
• Iced tea, sparkling water. Pour over ice, top with tea or bubbles — instant garden drink.
• Cocktails. Extraordinary with gin, mezcal, or aged rum. A little goes far.
• Yogurt, ice cream, oatmeal. Drizzle. Fig leaf works everywhere vanilla works, and takes you somewhere vanilla can’t.

How we make it

Fig leaves off our own trees at 1149 3rd Street in Santa Monica. Blanched briefly to lock in the green flavor, then steeped in sugar syrup, strained, bottled. Same amber glass bottle as the rest of our syrup lineup. Small batches only — when the leaves run out, we wait for the next flush.