Get a healthy start of the year - eat nopales like a local

Published in the Pacific Pearl magazine January 2025

First of all: feliz Año Nuevo, happy New Year! Most of us start the New Year with fresh plans of exercise and diet. In Mexico many dieticians incorporate nopales cactus leaves in their nutritional recommendations. But what are nopales, how do you prepare them and where can you buy them?
​
Did you know that nopales have been part of the Mexican diet for thousands of years alongside corn and beans? The Opuntia cactus was domesticated 9000 years ago by the Chichimeca hunter-gatherer civilization in the central northern plains. From there it spread southwards and it was known in Nahuatl as Nohpalli which means tree with fruits. Currently there are over 100 different nopales varieties. Nopales have multiple uses: you can eat its flat oval-shaped leaves or its tuna cactus fruit and it is even used as a garden ‘fence’.
In Mexico the nopal is more than just food. It is also an important national symbol. The Mexica tribe, who lived in the mythical city Aztlan, migrated around 1000 AD from northern Mexico in search of fertile soils to found their capital Tenochtitlan (currently Mexico-city). The indicated location would be where an eagle sits on a Nopal cactus devouring a snake. You can find this symbol in the center of the Mexican flag. A fun Spanish saying is that somebody with very Mexican features, is said to “have a nopal on his forehead”.
So what are the health benefits of nopales? First of all nopales have few calories (15 kcal/100 g) and it is helpful for people with diabetes. Nopales are usually consumed cooked and mixed with a Pico de Gallo salad or in guacamole. Should you be worried about the cactus leaf thorns? Not at all: at local markets or supermarkets you can find thorn-less nopales. You will often see the vendors do this slow and meticulous labor of removing the thorns. Can you eat nopales raw? You won’t see anybody eat nopales like celery sticks, but it’s a common ingredient in our famous Jugo Verde (green juice). Let’s get the blender off the shelf and give it a try!

Jugo Verde recipe (for 1 glass)

• 1 nopal cactus leaf, diced
• 1 celery stick, diced
• ¾ cup pineapple, diced
• ½ cup orange juice or water
• Fresh parsley, optional to taste

Add all the ingredients in a blender and mix until you get a smooth consistency. You can add more orange juice to make it less thick. If you prefer, you can strain out the fiber and serve in a glass.

If you’re ready to learn more about Mazatlan’s culinary scene, make sure to check out www.flavorteller.com and save your seats for one of the Flavor Teller food tours.