Prickly Pear in World Cuisine

From pad to fruit, and on to the seeds that yield a precious oil, every part of the prickly pear has its place, in the kitchen and beyond. From Mexico to Ethiopia, by way of Sicily and Morocco, this plant has fed local communities for centuries.

In Mexico: nopalitos, a pillar of traditional cuisine

In Mexico, the cactus pads, called "nopales" or "nopalitos" when young and tender, are an essential part of everyday cooking. They are sautéed with onion and garlic, served as a salad (ensalada de nopales) or added to soups and stews.

The fruits, called "tunas", are eaten fresh in season. Their sweet flesh also goes into juices, smoothies and desserts. Their many small seeds are either eaten with the flesh or spat out, depending on personal habit.

Sicily: "fico d'India" turned into delicacies

In Sicily, "fico d'India" (literally "Indian fig") is an emblematic ingredient of local cuisine. The fruit is first enjoyed fresh at the end of summer, often simply cut in half. But Sicilians don't stop there.

It is made into granitas, enjoyed in summer like other Sicilian granitas, sometimes with a brioche. Ice cream makers also turn it into delicately flavored ice creams, and a prickly pear liqueur is produced locally.

Morocco: a fruit of the streets and of tradition

In Morocco, the prickly pear is everywhere. In summer, street vendors sell fresh fruit, peeled and ready to eat. It's a popular, affordable fruit that locals and tourists alike enjoy as a refreshment.

Beyond the fresh fruit, prickly pear seed oil has become an economic resource for Moroccan women's cooperatives. This rare and precious oil is now associated with beauty and luxury.

Tunisia and Algeria: local varieties and family customs

In Tunisia and Algeria, the prickly pear goes by different names, such as "karmous" or "hendi", depending on the region. The fruit is mostly eaten fresh, in season.

The pads are also used as livestock fodder, especially during dry spells.

Ethiopia: the fruit of the semi-arid climate

In Ethiopia, especially in the Tigray region, the prickly pear, known as "beles", is the main fresh fruit of the summer season. Its fruit feeds families, and its pads serve as livestock fodder.

Nicknamed the "bridge of life" in the region, this plant, which stores large amounts of water, provides food and food security to rural communities in hard times.

The names it goes by around the world

The variety of its names reflects how widely it has spread: nopal (the plant) and tuna (the fruit) in Mexico, fico d'India in Italy, karmous or hendi in the Maghreb, beles in Ethiopia, figue de barbarie in French, and prickly pear in English.

Sources: Brutsch M. O., "The Beles or Cactus Pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) in Tigray, Ethiopia", Journal of the Professional Association for Cactus Development; USDA FoodData Central, "Nopales, raw"; Prelude (Ethnopharmacologia), Opuntia ficus-indica entry.