You've just completed your delicious taco at a taqueria in Mexico City and are curious about those unique, yet flavorful and crunchy little green items. Now, imagine the Mexican scenery: the rolling hills, the distant mountains, and... what else?
Think harder; aren't you missing something?
Well, what about the quintessential Mexican cactus? YES! You have just eaten strips of cactus pad as have done many other Mexicans and gringo's alike for many, many years.
This exquisite food is called nopal in this corner of the world. This tasty and healthy cactus, which gets used as a vegetable, has always been a part of Mexican cuisine, even way before the Spanish invasion. However, it is thanks to the Spanish explorers who took the plant back to Spain from Mexico that the nopales (prickly pear) are now scattered across Europe and North Africa. Nowadays, it can be found all over Mexico, parts of the US and, as mentioned, in the Mediterranean basin.
Since arriving in Mexico City, I've been enjoying them mixed with scrambled eggs, stewed with pork sausages, onions, tomatoes, and more, and I must say it's a delightful staple of the Mexican diet. Nopales are consumed throughout Mexico, often appearing in breakfast dishes or as a side to your main course. They can be grilled, boiled, sautéed, or even eaten raw. If you're curious about their taste, nopales offer a pleasant blend between green beans and green peppers, thanks to their crunchy texture. A particularly tasty part of the cactus is its fruit, known as the prickly pear. Both cactus pads and fruit must be carefully peeled to remove all thorns with thick gloves before consumption. The best places to find cactus pads (already peeled and ready to cook) are large supermarkets or one of the many traditional and extensive Mexican street markets, where you can also discover amazing teas, jams, and juices made from them.
Nopales have many health benefits, too. In fact, they are rich in fibre, full of antioxidants, low in carbohydrates, and help treat diabetes, high cholesterol, and obesity. Also, if you happen to have had one too many the night before, remember that this superfood can help you recover from an otherwise potentially dreadful hangover the day after!
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