Prickly pears: 5 curiosities and hidden properties
Prickly pear, prickly and difficult to pick, is a sweet fruit with thousand of benefits besides being a real delicacy. It is pretty spread in the south part of Italy and rarer in the north, it is possible to find it in a small period of the years, during the hot summer months.
Prickly pear, prickly and difficult to pick, is a sweet fruit with thousand of benefits besides being a real delicacy. It is pretty spread in the south part of Italy and rarer in the north, it is possible to find it in a small period of the years, during the hot summer months.
5 unknown curiosities about prickly pears:
#1 Mexican origins
If you say prickly pear, you think to South Italy even if this cactus comes from the dry Mexican moors. In fact, the Aztecs already ate its fruit and it comes to Europe thanks to Columbus and his discovery of America. It Italy, it found a suitable climate to grow and bear fruits.
#2 two Sicilian DOP products
The 90% of the prickly pear are located in Sicily where this fruit has two DOP certifications: Ficodindia dell’Etna DOP and Ficodindia del Cono DOP.
#3 Benefits
Prickly pear is not only good but also healthy. It has a huge quantity of fibers that help to regulate the intestine, but also mineral salts and vitamins. We can’t forget to mention the percentage of potassium and antioxidants. A real cure-all food for our organism!
#4 A refill of energy for the peasants
Thanks to its richness in nutritive principles and fructose, is it a real refill of energy, without too many calories! It is perfect for breakfast or for a break but also for a good summer lunch. In the past, the peasants were used to eat in for breakfast before working, but it was also used as a snack during the working hours. Also the workers during the grape harvest ate it to have the right energy and nourishing but above all to avoid grape stealing!
#5 No stress and depression
Prickly pears are considered a kind of anti-stress food thanks to their nutritive properties. Their high content of beta carotene, magnesia, potassium, vitamin A and C, thiamine and iron make them super food and perfect allies to keep away depression and tiredness.
