The most famous wild plant in Mexico, appearing in the national flag of this country

Although Mexicans love cactus dishes, for people in other countries, this is a very strange dish.

Nopales, also known as paddle cactus, is one of the most famous Mexican foods. It even appears in the country’s flag. If you’ve ever tried eating cactus, you’re probably someone who loves to explore and try new foods.

For Mexicans, they grew up with food related to cacti. Therefore, this is an extremely familiar and popular food in this country. However, in other countries, perhaps many visitors find it strange to know that cacti can be eaten.

Mexicans are very creative in how to cook cactus, from eating raw, boiled to grilled, sautéed, soups, salads, cakes, drinks. Cactus is commented to have a crunchy texture, taste similar to citrus, very delicious and easy to eat. Plus, it contains other health benefits like:

– Helps stabilize blood sugar.

– Reduce back pain, swelling.

– Lowers blood pressure and cholesterol.

– Weight control.

– Reduce hangover.

– Enhance immunity.

Rich in vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, vitamin C and the minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron.

Cactus plants not only eat the leaves, but they also grow sweet fruits, called prickly pears or tunas, pitayas.

If you live in Mexico, supermarkets often sell peeled cactus pieces. In case you want to keep it for a long time and are not in a hurry to process it, you should buy the one with the shell. Because after peeling off the peel, they will oxidize very quickly.

In particular, the Mexican people’s favorite is grilled cactus. After being peeled, the cactus is soaked in salt water, cut into pieces and grilled like a barbecue. Deep-fried breaded cactus is also very popular with Mexicans.