by Carolyn Niethammer (Paper)

Those bristly cactus spines are guarding something really good to eat. Like chocolate, corn, tomatoes, potatoes, and chile, prickly pear cacti are one of the true treasures of the Americas. As a food, prickly pear is delicious, nutritious, and increasingly believed to be medicinal. Native Americans have enjoyed it for thousands of years, but transplants now flourish worldwide.