Fig Balsamic Vinegar with Fruit Pulp

Fig vinegar with rich fruit pulp from Provence

The fig vinegar with fruit pulp from A l'Olivier is a French vinegar preparation from Provence, thick and creamy due to a high proportion of fig pulp. It is not a vinegar fermented from figs, but a spirit vinegar refined with plenty of fig purée.

Fig vinegar with fruit pulp brings the dark sweetness of ripe figs into a small bottle and is one of the most popular vinegar specialties from the Parisian oil mill A l'Olivier. For this vinegar preparation, spirit vinegar is stirred with around 40 percent fig pulp, a little sugar, and pectin, which is why it is thick, creamy, and deep dark in the glass. The French call it "Vinaigre à la pulpe de figue" (vinegar with fig pulp), and that is exactly how it tastes.

Ripe fig, dark and velvety

In the glass, the fig vinegar appears deep brown and viscous; on the nose, ripe figs with a warm, sweet-and-sour core and a hint of caramel.

On the palate, it plays to the strengths of its fruit pulp: first the dark sweetness of the fig, then the clear acidity of the spirit vinegar, which provides the backbone. Creamy, fruity, and profound, it rests on the spoon—velvety and round rather than sharp.

In France, such fruity vinegars have always belonged on the bistro table, and A l'Olivier still makes them today with real fruit pulp instead of mere flavoring. A single drop gives a simple dish depth, and because the pulp thickens it, it stays where you put it instead of dripping off the lettuce leaf.

From creamy vinegar to creamy vinaigrette

Stir the fig vinegar with some olive oil or nutty hazelnut oil, and the creamy vinegar turns into a creamy vinaigrette for colorful salads—one of the thickest among our fruit vinegars.

Fig sweetness loves bold partners. It plays out its fullness with foie gras and white meat, and a few drops deglaze the pan after frying to create a quick, dark sauce. We love drizzling it over aged goat cheese, over arugula with toasted walnuts, or, if you want something sweet, over a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Grilled figs and a spoonful over warm, baked Camembert also pair perfectly with it—that is the extent of its range.

A Parisian oil mill since 1822

A l'Olivier was founded in 1822 by the pharmacist Eugène Popelin, who wanted to introduce the people of Paris to high-quality olive oil.

The small oil shop in the Marais district grew into a family business with over 50 oils and a handful of fruity vinegars, just as Popelin once intended, and it was already receiving awards at the World's Fairs of 1867 and 1889. Good 200 years later, the name still stands for that same level of care.

Today, the Provençal workshops near Nice select the fruits, blend the fruit pulp, and bottle the vinegars, while a mill near Poitiers presses seed and nut oils. In addition to the fig vinegar, you will find the fruity-red raspberry vinegar and the rest of the A l'Olivier assortment in our shop.

Over ripe figs with goat cheese

Shake before use, as the fig pulp settles at the bottom, and after opening, the 200 ml bottle keeps best when refrigerated. For a quick appetizer, arrange ripe figs with some goat cheese, drizzle the vinegar over them, and serve with a glass of Crémant. And if you are looking for a gift, combine the fig vinegar with the raspberry and mango vinegars for a fruity trio. A mild summer evening needs nothing more.