OPUNTIA: THE PRICKLY PEAR CACTUS –
QUINTESSENTIAL CACTUS OF THE NEW MEXICAN HIGH DESERT
Along with the Cane Cholla, the Prickly Pear is the most common kind of cactus seen around Albuquerque and New Mexico as a whole. Called Nopal in Mexico, the Optunia genus has hundreds of species spread across the Americas which have been prized for food and medicine for people and animals alike. After the Spanish brought it back to Europe, the cactus spread around the Mediterranean as well.Named for their spine-covered fruits, the Prickly Pear has distinctive flattened stems that resemble rounded pads, called cladodes. They also have two different types of spine for protection from hungry animals. Large, solid spines protrude from the pads, often reaching several inches long. These were used extensively by Native tribes to make fishhooks as well as needles for a variety of purposes, like sewing and tattooing. Short, hair-like spines called glochids also line both pads and fruit and can embed themselves into skin wit barely any contact.
Nopal serve as an important food source for animals during times of frequent drought in the desert, especially after a dry winter. Javelina and peccary will often eat the whole plant, spines and all, then dig up the roots as well during times of need.Both the pads and the fruit (called tuna in Spanish) are edible and tasty, and you can often find them for sale these days, in supermarkets with a specialty produce section, even on the East Coast. Due to their taste, nutritional value and abundance, the Nopal was considered a staple food source for many Native cultures for thousands of years. The fruits can be eaten raw on the trail (watch out for seeds!) or boiled, and are also widely used for juice, jelly and syrup. Once peeled and de-spined, the pads are boiled or roasted, or occasionally pulped and turned into fruit leather. Traditional Mexican dishes often utilize Nopal as an ingredient, and the cactus is often grown commercially on farms.
Although 85% water, prickly pear fruit is rich in Vitamin C and a great source of carbohydrates, while the pads are rich in Vitamin A. Due to their high Vitamin C content, Prickly Pears were commonly collected and used on early expeditions to the Americas to prevent scurvy. But for Native peoples, the Nopal had a wide variety of medicinal uses including treating wounds, infections and boils with a poultice made from the pads. Pads were also used on rattlesnake bites and burns, and as an analgesic. It was thought to help with stomach and urinary troubles, and the roots were sometimes used as a laxative. Pads were also dried and ground into powder to be used on cuts, sores and earaches. Recently, Nopal capsules have been used to treat various illnesses, including diabetes, high cholesterol and arthritis.