How to Eat Cactus
Often what we consider to be “exotic foods” are items that have been consumed by other people for generations. Many “unconventional” ingredients are indigenous food sources to many cultures. If you want to experiment with new ingredients for cooking, you may want to consider cactus.
Cacti as Food
Cacti are desert plants that hold a lot of water. For survivalists, ranch hands, and cowboys, the refreshing and replenishing properties of the cactus makes it an excellent source of water in case supplies run scarce. Some cactus species, however, are valued for their edible properties:
Nopal cacti are a delicacy in Mexico (For more information on Mexico, read Mexico: The Warm giant of the Americas) and the Southwestern United States. Nopales are the young, edible pads of the Opuntia cactus. The nopal is often used fresh in salads, but it can also be cooked and mixed with other ingredients like meat and eggs.
Prickly pear fruits are one of the more common cooking ingredients derived from the Opuntia species of cacti. Prickly pears are sweet and can be eaten as they are, although they can also be processed and prepared to make salads, jellied desserts, and even candy.
Cooking With Cactus
Cactus may not be the first thing you can consider as a fruit or vegetable ingredient, but it’s nice to use it every now and then for specialty dishes like salads and desserts.
Edible cactus pads should always be tender and young shoots from mature plants. There are some varieties of edible cactus that do not have spikes or a rough skin. To prepare a cactus pad for eating, follow these steps:
Soak the cactus pads in cold water.
Put on a pair of gloves.
Peel the cactus with a paring knife or a vegetable peeler. Make sure to remove as much as you can of the thick skin and the spines, because they can cause indigestion.
Cut the cactus pads into chunks or cubes that you can work with.
Cactus may not be the first thing that you think of when you think of vegetables, but they’re excellent for use in fusion and indigenous cooking. With these steps, you can cook and eat cactus and, if you really like the texture and flavor, you may find yourself cooking with it a lot. If you enjoy reading this article, you’ll surely be interested in learning how to care for a cactus