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Nopal (also known as the Prickly Pear
cactus) is from the Opuntia family. There are approximately one
hundred and fourteen known species endemic to Mexico. They are
particularly common in their native Mexico where
the plant is a common ingredient in numerous Mexican
cuisine dishes in which it can be eaten raw or cooked. It can
be used in marmalades, soups stews and salads, as well as being used for traditional medicine or as fodder for
animals. Farmed nopales are most often of the species Opuntia ficus-indica, although the pads of
almost all Opuntia species
are edible. The other part of the nopal cactus that is edible is the fruit
called the tuna or more commonly known in the United States as Prickly Pear. [Wiki]
