Fresh nopales are hard to find here in Rhode Island, except at the Compare Market in Providence, though I can occasionally order them through one of the Whole Foods-type markets. However, I can buy nopalitos in the jar in most of the Latino markets. Are they suitable for this dish?

Great question. Diana Kennedy says there are two kinds of canned nopalitos, those canned in brine and those canned in a light pickle solution. She recommends those lightly pickled in general. I have no idea if they would work in this dish. ~Elise

My Grandma on my Fathers side used to make us a stick candy she would refer to as 'doces do nopalito'. She used the prickly pear cactus and created a syrup from the juices, included the finely chopped cactus and let them harden into a "log" or stick of candy she hand rolled herself. I have never had anything like these again since I was a child, and she has since passed away. Of course nothing was written down. She was an amazing woman. She did all of her cooking, I swear, by the seat of her pants. I hope to recreate this amazing treat, and I thank you for putting that special memory back into my mind.

Nopalitos like this are fantastic in a taco (soft corn tortilla of course), with some goat cheese, a little cilantro and lime.

Also, I've used a canned variety that comes in a glass jar (can't remember the brand), and they are packed in a viscous liquid which I always rinse off. They are fine, but fresh is better.

Funny... I cooked my first nopalitos this week (for a cookbook photo shoot). They were great in the dish... chorizo & nopalito taquitos. I was able to get the fresh paddles at Whole Foods here in Seattle, although the check-out clerk & I had a fun conversation about whether they were edible or not.

Great to have another idea of what to do with them, esp. since I have two paddles left.

-L

My mom has always cooked scrambled eggs with nopalitos. It's similar to this dish, but then she would add eggs and chopped cilantro to it and make it a scramble. Delicious and very tasty in a breakfast burrito too!

What do nopalitos taste like? Can the taste be compared to another more familiar vegetable?

Brianna-

They don't have a strong flavor. I would say they are closest to something like green bell peppers, but with a firmer texture and less bitterness.

My Gram's nopales were fantastic but unfortunately she is gone and so are her recipes. She would make nopales occasionally during the winter but she was famous for making them part of our traditional meatless Friday's during the Lent season.

We would use it as a condiment to tacos (non-lent) but would also scramble it with eggs and fill burritos with it. My favorite way to eat nopales is when she added them to lentils (kind of like a lentil soup but thicker) and you scoop up the dish with homemade tortillas. Oh drool... Missing you Gram!

I grew up eating nopales as a salad -- served cold with avocado, tomato, onion, cilantro, oil, vinegar and some chiles for heat.

When I decided to make it for myself, I bought the cactus paddles and then called grandma to see how to make it. "Why did you buy it like that?" she asked. "It's so much easier from the jar." Just when I think I'm cooking authentically, she admonishes me for trying to be too authentic. ;)

My new favorite way to cook them is to cut into strips and roast on high heat. Then make the salad when they cool. The roasting method avoids the sliminess and results in a good flavor.

Brianna - to me, they have a bit of a naturally "pickled" flavor, but it's not strong --

I like to barbeque them, along side carne asada or pork chops and then slice them up and add them along with the meat in a tortilla.

Hi Elise-

Could you do a blog entry about prepping the catus paddles (the stripped of spines, cleaned and chopped part).

I would prefer to use fresh over canned, but haven't got a clue where to start.

Thanks

Hi CJ, Most markets that carry the whole cactus paddles also carry the fresh already prepped cactus in bags. If you are working with a whole cactus paddle, here are Diana Kennedy's instructions from The Art of Mexican Cooking "You will need a pair of tongs, a sharp knife, and a glove for one hand. Holding the nopal firmly in the tongs, shave off the tiny bumps that contain the thorns, but do not remove the whole green outer layer of the nopal. Rinse them well. Cut off the thick, fleshy base and discard. Then cut into 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch squares. They are now ready to cook." ~Elise

Thank you, thank you. I started on your site with Indian pudding and now I am on nopalitos. Next I will see if you have tamales. Thank you for so many terrific recipes. I categorize nopalitos with okra in terms of cooking techniques!