Nopal by Ray Sahelian, M.D.

Nopales are a vegetable made from the young stem segments of prickly pear cactus with the spines removed. Nopales are particularly common in Mexico. Farmed nopales are most often of the species Opuntia ficus-indica, although the pads of almost all Opuntia species are edible. The fruit of the cactus tree is called a prickly pear. Prickly-Pear-Cactus supplements are available for sale.

Nopal questions
Q. Hello, I am a researcher at the University of Virginia. My current work involves the use of plant matter in water treatment. Nopal is one of the species we are interested in, but we are having a difficult time locating any plants in this area. Could you provide me with some information about where to acquire a plant or someone to contact?
   A. Finding a nopal plant is outside our range of knowledge.