Common Fig Wood

The last samples of wood that I received from Croatia, have been waiting for their opportunity for almost three years. They were two fig branches, gnarled and blackened at the ends.
I wasn't able to find any information about fig wood, maybe because figs naturally grow in areas where people speak neither English nor Slovak (I don't count those few poor trees tormented with cold weather that grow here). But then I found one website selling exotic lumber and I learned that fig tree can be used for carving and moreover it was a preferred material for panels to paint on in the middle ages.
So when I finally split one of the fig branches, I discovered quite hard and unusually yellow wood. It smelt very unusual, too - as if someone left fresh figs in the sunshine too long until they petrified. It was quite difficult to choose a piece suitable for a small spoon. The wood contained insect holes and little cavities around hidden knots. But in the end my stubbornness won.