A prickly pear on the sea near Recco.
The prickly pear, scientifically known as Opuntia ficus-indica, is a succulent plant native to the Americas, but which has found a second home in the Mediterranean basin and in many other regions of the world. This exotic fruit, with its characteristic spiny paddles and its colorful fruits, has become a symbol of resilience and adaptability. But beyond its fascinating aesthetics, the prickly pear offers numerous nutritional benefits and plays an important role in the culinary and medicinal cultures of the areas where it is grown.
The prickly pear has ancient origins, dating back thousands of years to the desert regions of Mexico and the Southwest of the United States. The Aztecs and other pre-Columbian civilizations exploited its fruits and paddles (cladodes) for various food and medicinal purposes. With the arrival of European explorers in the 15th century, the plant was introduced to Europe and from there it quickly spread to the Mediterranean regions, Africa, Asia and even Australia.
The prickly pear is a perennial plant that can reach considerable heights, up to 4-5 meters. It is made up of flat, oval segments called cladodes, commonly known as “paddles”. These cladodes are covered with small spines, called glochids, which can easily penetrate the skin and are difficult to remove. The flowers, which bloom in spring and summer, are large and showy, usually yellow, orange or red, and give rise to the edible fruit.
The fruits of the prickly pear, called prickly pears, are fleshy and sweet berries with a thick, spiny skin. The color of the fruit varies from yellow to deep red, passing through various shades of orange and green. Inside, the pulp is juicy and contains numerous small, hard seeds. The fruits are usually harvested in late summer and early fall and are eaten fresh, used to make juices, jams, liqueurs and even sweets.
The prickly pear is a nutrient-dense fruit. It is a good source of vitamin C, fiber, magnesium and antioxidants. The young leaves, called “nopales” in Mexico, are also edible and contain vitamins, minerals and fiber, in addition to being used in various traditional dishes. Recent studies have shown that the prickly pear can have beneficial effects on digestive health, blood glucose regulation and weight control, due to its high fiber content and low caloric density.
In Mediterranean and Latin American cuisine, the prickly pear plays a prominent role. The fruits are eaten fresh, but also made into jams, jellies and juices. In Mexico, nopales are a common ingredient in salads, stews and tacos. In addition to its culinary uses, the plant is used in traditional medicine to treat a variety of ailments, from inflammation to digestive issues.
In more recent times, prickly pears have been the subject of scientific interest for their potential medicinal and cosmetic properties. Extracts of the plant are used in skin care products for their moisturizing and anti-inflammatory properties.
The hardy and adaptable prickly pear is an example of how plants can thrive in harsh conditions while still offering a myriad of benefits. From a staple of traditional diets to the subject of modern scientific research, the plant continues to surprise and delight. Whether for its unique taste, nutritional value, or medicinal uses, prickly pears deserve a place of honor among the world’s botanical treasures.

Have you ever seen this plant and its flowers?
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Photo taken with Canon EOS RP and lens Tamron 16-300.

The prickly pear or prickly pear is a plant native to Mexico. From here, in ancient times, it spread among the populations of Central America who cultivated and traded it already at the time of the Aztecs, among whom it was considered a sacred plant with strong symbolic values.
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A prickly pear on the sea near Recco – Une figue de Barbarie sur la mer près de Recco – Una tuna en el mar cerca de Recco – Uma pera espinhosa no mar perto de Recco – Ein Feigenkaktus am Meer in der Nähe von Recco – Một quả lê gai trên biển gần Recco

The text of the post was written with the help of ChatGPT, a language model from OpenAI.