cactus pads
Spiny succulent segments
Cactus pads are the flat, fleshy, oval segments of certain cacti, especially prickly pear.
They function as stems and store water.
In Mexican and Southwestern cuisine, the pads (called nopales when prepared as food) are stripped of spines, sliced, and cooked: Grilled cactus pads have a flavor somewhere between green beans and okra.
- nopalesEdible cactus segments
- prickly pearSpine-covered cactus, edible fruit
- spinesStiff, pointed projections
- succulentMoist and flavorful
- water storageHolding liquid reserves
paddles · fleshy · thorns · Mexican cuisine · grilled · sliced · mucilaginous · green · oval · flat · edible · high fiber · farmers market · desert · Sonoran Desert · drought · aloe · agave