Fill out this form to email this article to a friend

Your name		Your email
Recipient email	You may enter up to 20 multiple email addresses, separated by commas.
Your message
Validation Code	Hear validation code
	Enter validation code

We were unable to send your email.

Click here to try again.

Ever eat a cactus?

In print: Saturday, August 9, 2008

Opuntia cochenillifera’s thornless pads are a fine addition to salads, omelets, soups and stir-fries.
	[JOHN A. STARNES JR. | Special to the Times]

Story Tools E-mail this story Contact the editor Print this story Comment on this story Social Bookmarking Digg Facebook Stumbleupon Reddit Del.icio.us Newsvine

ADVERTISEMENT Loading Video...

Say "cactus" and people hardly think of lip-smacking cuisine. But the various cactuses of the Opuntia species, recognizable by their plump paddle-shaped stems, have been eaten as a staple in Mexico for centuries. Thirty countries now grow them because of their ease of cultivation, flavor, nutrition and medicinal value.

In the past, people had to char them on coals to burn off the thorns or make the still difficult task of peeling them a bit easier. Now shoppers can buy bags of peeled and diced opuntia cactus, more commonly referred to as "nopales" or "nopalitos." You may have noticed them at open-air produce markets, or pickled in jars at grocery stores in the Hispanic foods section.

One species long favored in Mexico for both food and medicine is Opuntia streptacantha, whose polysaccharides have been confirmed by modern research to stabilize blood sugar. For that reason it is used by many people with diabetes, either as a vegetable or in capsule form at health food stores. I was unable to obtain this species, which may have been a blessing in disguise, because it is very thorny and I am not into painful cooking.

Flavor, without fear

But a fast-growing, tasty and very nutritious thornless species has become a mainstay in my efforts at food self-sufficiency: Opuntia cochenillifera. A common sight in older gardens here and in South Florida, this cactus quickly grows into a upright, treelike shape composed of the thornless paddles growing atop each other. Look closely and you'll see tiny, vestigial leaves widely spaced on each paddle where a thorn would normally grow. It is very drought-tolerant, yet, oddly, thrives in our rainy summers.

I rarely see it for sale, but if you can find someone who owns a plant to give you a single paddle, it roots very easily. Just bury it halfway in ordinary soil and forget it. (Be sure to bury the half that was attached to the parent plant.) The growth rate is phenomenal.

I frequently snap off a young, tender pad to nibble raw as I work in the garden. Its tangy, almost citrusy taste is the result of abundant vitamin C and ascorbic acid.

One look at its nutritional profile reveals why this thornless form is now grown commercially in southern Texas and California as a staple vegetable. Not only does it supply many amino acids, Opuntia cochenillifera is loaded with potassium, magnesium, calcium, manganese, copper, zinc and iron, as well as thiamine, lutein, niacin, riboflavin and beta-carotene. Farmers who raise goats and other livestock value it as a nutritious and easy-to-grow fodder.

Diversify your diet

I dice the pads (officially called "nodales") to use in salads, omelets, soups, stir-frys and spring rolls. Some cooks dip them in batter and fry them.

Some opuntia species, like ficus-indica, are grown for their tasty fruits, sometimes called "Indian Figs." But those produced by this thornless species are small and bland, versus plump, purple and fruity, like others used for jams, wines or eating raw. But I will forgive this very prolific vegetable for that one shortcoming.

Perennial vegetables that need to be planted only once — chaya, plantain and this cactus — are a key feature of my reliance on the principles of permaculture. I want to be able to survive on my organic garden's output if I have to. I spend at most $40 a month on groceries because of the productivity of my garden. I'm glad to see that more and more people seek to grow at least a portion of their diet in their landscapes.

Choose a sunny spot in your landscape where you can enjoy the sculptural beauty of this statuesque cactus while adding an exotic and unique ingredient to your culinary adventures.

John A. Starnes Jr., born in Key West, is an avid organic gardener and rosarian who studies, collects, cultivates and hybridizes roses for Florida. He can be reached at johnastarnes@msn.com.