Columbus introduced Europeans to New World bounty that would change the way they ate forever. American plants were so wholly accepted by the Old World that they came to sustain — and represent — whole cultures, like tomatoes in southern Italy and potatoes in Ireland. Other plants native to the Americas, like chocolate, tobacco, sunflowers, corn and certain beans, have found homes across the globe.

While the world has come to claim many of these culinary blessings as their own, the prickly pear has been less enthusiastically embraced. Ouch! The very thought illustrates the problem — and nicknames like Big Bad Prickly Pear and Mother-in-Law Tongue haven't helped the cactus's image.

Historians believe the prickly pear came to the Iberian Peninsula at the end of the 15th century. From there, it spread opportunistically, taking over grassy grazing lands and laying waste to meadows in places as far from its natural range as Australia and Africa. In Ethiopia, a country wickedly beset by prickly pears, there are 48 names for the different varieties, among them "cactus inhabited by snakes" and "cactus loved by dogs but not consumed by humans."

No other American plant looks so foreign in Europe. Seemingly misplaced in the docile Italian countryside, prickly pear cactus are now part of the culture, known as fichi di India or Indian fig. Italy is, in fact, the second largest commercial producer of prickly pear products in the world, topped only by Mexico. Most of Italy's crop is raised in Sicily, where the hot, dry conditions are perfect.

In 1325 AD, fulfilling an Aztec prophecy, the first Mexicans built their capital in the midst of a swamp where an eagle had landed on a prickly pear. That image is on the Mexican flag — and the former center of that Aztec empire is now the zocalo, the central plaza of Mexico City.

Today, Mexicans are both the largest producers and the largest consumers of prickly pear. Their markets radiate with an astonishing array of fruits, or tunas, in jewel colors. The green paddles are called nopales when whole, nopalitos when cut into small pieces.

During times of drought, when no other plants flourish, the prickly pear does just fine. During the 1930s drought, Texas ranchers cut and piled up the cactus — searing off the thorns with a flame thrower — and fed them to their starving cattle. The plant's fruits and pads are 85 percent to 90 percent water and have saved many a desert traveler dying of thirst.

All parts of the prickly pear are reputed to have medicinal qualities. Native to the harshest environments in the Americas, it has been used as a healing plant and food since pre-Columbian times. The prickly pear's fleshy pad is loaded with antioxidant vitamins A and C. A plant source of all eight amino acids not produced by the human body, the pads also are an excellent food choice for vegetarians and vegans.


The prickly pear, Opuntia cactaceae, has 954 scientific names. With the most members in the cactus family, opuntia also has the greatest variation in form, size and growth range.

While most Mexicans have their own personal preference for particular varieties of both the pads and the fruits, people in the United States tend to be most familiar with the magenta fruit of the wild Englemann prickly pear. Prickly pears bloom in May and June and are fully ripe by late August or September; the fruit can stay on the plant until Christmas.

The ecosystem of the prickly pear attracts bugs — cochineal insects, gathered for the carmine dye they produce, thrive on the nopalea cochinillefer; black widows, walking sticks, bees, swallowtail butterflies and leaf-footed bugs gather their food or make their homes among the spines.

The insects and ripe fruit attract birds — mockingbirds and curve-billed thrashers often have red heads after feasting on the tunas. Mourning doves and cactus wrens build nests in the safety of the thorns. Packrats build their homes around the base of the cacti and gnaw on them when desperate for food. Javelinas find themselves at home amongst some of their favorite food, ignoring the spines and chomping away.

At the end of their life cycle, prickly pears literally melt away. Then termites and other decomposers go to work; within five years of its demise, no trace remains of the once-lively ecosystem.


While several companies market prickly pear syrup and jelly, it's far better to make your own. First, the juice used in commercial jellies is rarely pure prickly pear; it's often supplemented with apple juice or white grape juice. Second, while commercial jellies are expensive because of their exotic nature, we in the Southwest have the opportunity to gather free fruit and make our own jellies just by harvesting the tunas when they're ripe. Prickly pears are a common xeriscopic plant, and live in front yards and open range all over New Mexico.

Although tunas don't have spines, they do have tiny stickers, called glochids, that are annoying if they get into the skin, so use tongs and a bucket to harvest the fruit.

To make juice for jelly, wash the fruit well and split in half, holding them securely with tongs. Put in a stockpot with a small amount of water in the bottom, cover, and heat over medium flame. As the juice runs out of the tuna halves, gently mash them and push them down into the boiling juice. When the tunas have released their juice, strain the juice through a double thickness of cheesecloth or a dampened kitchen towel that you would like better if it turned pink (it will). Let the tunas drain for several hours, then discard the sediment at the bottom of before using. (The glochids soften when they boil and are easy to shake out of the towel.)

You can add the juice to margaritas to make them a gorgeous shade of pink, cook it down to a syrup or use it to make jelly and other desserts. Remember, though, that prickly pears yield a red dye and dress accordingly when you work with the succulent fruit.


You'll need the following special equipment to make the jelly: canning funnel, jar lifter, 6 sealable half-pint glass jelly jars with 6 new lids and rings.

PRICKLY PEAR JELLY
(Makes a little more than 3 cups)

1 (1.75-ounce) package low-sugar recipe powdered pectin (like Sure Jell Lite)
1/4 cup sugar + 2-3/4 cups sugar, divided
3 cups prickly pear juice
3 tablespoons lemon juice or good-quality wine vinegar
1 tablespoon butter

Place clean jelly glasses upside down in a stainless steel pot, and add 2 inches of water. Add clean new lids and bring the water to a boil. Steam the lids and jars while preparing the jelly.

Combine pectin and 1/4 cup sugar. Put juice in a stainless steel saucepan and whisk in the pectin and sugar mixture. Bring to a boil and add the remaining sugar, lemon juice or wine vinegar, and butter. Bring to a hard rolling boil (one that can't be stirred down), and boil for three minutes, stirring constantly.

Using canning funnel, ladle into hot jelly jars, filling jars to within 1/4 inch of top. Wipe rims if necessary with a clean damp cloth, set lids on, and screw rings on firmly. Turn upside down for 5 minutes. Turn right side up and do not disturb for 12 hours. (Any remaining jelly may be poured into a bowl and kept in the refrigerator.)

Check to make sure tops have sealed before storing.


These candies are simple to make and divine, the tart, sweet, rich red berry flavor enrobed in dusky chocolate. They make wonderful holiday sweets or hostess gifts.

CHOCOLATE-COVERED PRICKLY PEAR JELLY

1 half-pint jar prickly pear jelly
1/4 pound dark chocolate (Trader Joe's 72% works well)

Gently heat jelly until it melts, stirring frequently. Pour into a small dish, then chill until cold and firm. Using the smallest sized melon-baller, scoop up individual mounds of jelly. Place an inch apart on a plate and chill.

While the jelly is chilling, melt the chocolate in a double boiler, stirring occasionally until smooth.

Dip the individual jelly mounds into the chocolate using a spoon and a fork, turning them over until they are totally covered. Let excess chocolate drip off the fork then place chocolate-covered jelly on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Serve when the chocolate hardens.


Using prickly pear jelly for filling gives traditional tres leches cake a sparkling tang.

PASTEL DE TRES LECHES
(Three-Milk Cake)

For the milk mixture:
1-2/3 cups dulce de leche or cajeta (goat's milk caramel)
1 cup whole milk
1 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon dark rum, optional
For the sponge cake:
4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick)
5 eggs, separated
3/4 cup sugar, divided
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1/4 cups sifted cake flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
For the topping:
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup prickly-pear jelly for filling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut out two circles of parchment paper to fit the bottom of two 8-inch cake pans. Butter and flour the pans.

Combine the dulce de leche, milk, 1 cup cream, vanilla and rum, if you are using it. Refrigerate.

Melt the butter and let it brown. Reserve.

Combine the flour and the salt; whisk and reserve.

Beat egg yolks with 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar and the vanilla until they are light colored and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.

In a second bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until they form soft peaks. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over the whites with the beaters running and beat until they form stiff, glossy peaks.

Quickly stir 1/4 of the egg whites into the yolk mixture to lighten it. Sift 1/2 the flour mixture onto the yolks, and top with half the browned butter and half the remaining egg whites. Fold in gently, until it's partially mixed. Repeat with remaining flour, butter and egg whites. Mix just until no streaks remain. (Don't over mix or the batter will deflate.)

Divide the batter between the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Place on the middle rack in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cakes are golden brown, the center is springy and bounces back, and the sides have pulled away from the pan.

Cool the cakes completely on a rack, then loosen sides by running a knife around the edge. One at a time, tip the cakes out of the pans onto a plate. Peel the parchment paper off the bottom and discard. Carefully put the cake back in the pan.

Puncture the cakes all over with a skewer, reaching all the way to the bottom. Slowly pour the milk mixture over the cakes, focusing on the middle but letting it run down the sides too. When the cake has absorbed the milk mixture, wrap well and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Whip the remaining 1 cup cream with the confectioner's sugar and vanilla until it forms soft peaks. Reserve.

Put one of the cakes on a serving plate and spread the prickly pear jelly over it. Don't worry if it runs down the sides. Carefully center the second cake on top of the first. Spread the remaining cream evenly over the top of the cake. Serve immediately or refrigerate overnight.


This margarita recipe comes from bartender Ruben Bernal at Las Carnarias restaurant in San Antonio, Texas. It was first published in issue #112 of Saveur magazine.

PRICKLY PEAR MARGARITA
(Serves 2)

For prickly-pear-infused tequila:
10 prickly pear fruits
1 750-ml bottle of silver tequila
For the margarita:
1 tequila-infused prickly pear
4 ounces prickly pear-infused tequila
2 ounces frozen limeade
1-1/2 ounces Cointreau

For the infused tequila, peel prickly pears; put into a glass jar. Pour in tequila, seal jar and let steep for at least 2 days.

To make margaritas, mash 1 peeled, steeped prickly pear through a mesh strainer into a bowl; discard seeds. Combine prickly-pear-infused tequila, 2 cups crushed ice, limeade, Cointreau and the mashed prickly pear in blender; purée until slushy.


Mexican markets like El Paisano in Santa Fe and Pro's Ranch Market in Albuquerque carry prickly pear paddles and fruit.

The Santa Fe School of Cooking carries several prickly-pear products in its shop, 116 W.San Francisco St.

More reading about prickly pears:

The Prickly Pear Cookbook by Carolyn Niethammer, Rio Nuevo Publishers (Tucson, Arizona) 2004

Prickly Pear Cactus Medicine: Treatments for Diabetes, Cholesterol, and the Immune System by Ran Knishinsky, Healing Arts Press (Rochester, Vermont) 2004