harvest often results in the wasteful death of
the entire tree.
Other Stem and Stalk
vegetables
Cactus Pads or Nopales Cactus pads,
nopales, and nopalitos are all names for the
flattened stem segments of the prickly-pear
cactus Opuntia ficus-indica (p. 369), a native
of the arid regions of Mexico and the U.S.
Southwest. They’re eaten raw in salads or
salsas, baked, fried, pickled, and added to
stews. Nopalitos are remarkable for two
things: a mucilage that probably helps them
retain water, and that can give them a
somewhat slimy consistency (dry cooking
methods minimize this), and a startling
tartness thanks to their malic acid content.
Cactuses, purslane, and other plants that live
in hot, dry environments have developed a
special form of photosynthesis in which they