The nopal cactus

Hello, friends and lovers of Mexican gastronomy and culture! In this post we are going to talk about the nopal cactus.

Legend has it that the Mexica people (prehispanic community of central mexico) received orders from Huitzilopochtli, god of the sun and war, to make a journey until they discovered an eagle devouring a snake, which was sitting on a nopal cactus, that is where they founded the great Tenochtitlan; in what is now Mexico City.

The nopal is a green cactus plant, which has a firm texture covered with thorns. In Mexico there are more than 100 species of nopales cultivated in numerous states such as Aguascalientes, Baja California, Mexico City, Jalisco, Michoacán, Oaxaca, Puebla, Zacatecas, among others.

As an interesting fact, Milpa Alta's crops of nopales in Mexico City are characterized by being environmentally friendly and do not use pesticides or chemicals.

The nopal is not only engraved in the history of Mexico, but in the daily life of all Mexicans!

The nopal cactus has been consumed since pre-Hispanic times and is widely used for its medicinal benefits. Frequently, it is consumed as a salad where it is mixed with tomato, onion, cheese, radishes, cilantro and chili. In Mexican cuisine it has numerous uses, either as a main dish or as a side dish, it can be boiled, roasted, stewed or canned.

Ishare with you my favorite nopales recipe, Nopalitos empapelados (wrapped nopal cactus) !

It is very simple, but delicious, you only need: 2 clean tender nopales , two tablespoons of the cheese of your choice, a pinch of epazote and aluminum foil.

On a piece of aluminum foil put a tender nopal, on top put the cheese and the pinch of epazote, season with salt and pepper and put the other nopalito as if it were a lid. Fold the aluminum foil in such a way that it prevents the contents from coming out and put it on the griddle until the nopalitos are cooked, they should be soft and tender. Finger-licking good!

And for our friends who are watching their diet, it is important to point out that nopal is a 100% plant-based food, low in calories, each 100 gr of nopales has only 15 kcal! It also provides dietary fiber, calcium, potassium, magnesium, antioxidants, vitamin C and lowers blood lipids in diabetics.

How do you like nopales? Tell us your favorite recipe in the comments of the post and to accompany this delicacy check out our categories of traditional Mexican food and drinks. Also, we invite you to go through the category of decoration and utensils so you can have all the necessary tools to cook all your dishes.