The green pads are the vegetable, in Spanish Nopales.
The round reddish balls are the fruit, in Spanish Tuna.
Both are edible but if you are doing your own harvesting, you will want to be careful.
There are some very visible long spines but there also are tiny, invisible glochids that are far more irritating and difficult to remove from the skin.
This plant is growing at the edge of the road in my neighborhood and I have no intention of getting any closer to it.
Love the color of the "Tuna". My favorite Cactus is the Golden Barrel-head though, I don't think you can eat it.
ReplyDeleteI thought you were going to say Judy had made a dinner out of it! Another of her culinary achievements! I'll send you a photo of when that cactus was in its glory days before the landscapers got a hold of it.
ReplyDeleteA fascinating plant, but I think I'd steer clear of it.
ReplyDeleteI've had the green one, in restaurants. not heard of the fruit before. I say you should try it.
ReplyDeleteMike
THAT is what I want to grow. The spineless kind, though.
ReplyDeleteWhat?! No spirit of dining adventure? You are going to leave your readers with an unresolved puzzlement?
ReplyDeleteBuck up old man. Take one for the team and let us know what you think. You know SWMBO could do magic with a cactus.
Some things entice you to touch, but you're better off not doing that. Other things look good enough to eat, but that may not be a wise choice!
ReplyDeleteRather pretty.
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