Have you ever eaten cactus? If you haven't, you should. Cactus, specifically prickly pear cactus, is delicious and you can try it in a variety of ways throughout Arizona.
Prickly pear is an oval shaped, bright purple colored fruit that grows on top of cactus and it can be made into just about anything. Some have described the taste to be a mix of watermelon and bubble gum which is probably why it's so good.
Opuntia cactaceae is prickly pear's scientific name, but the fruit is also known as tuna fruit and nopal - which refers to the flat pads of the cactus. Prickly pear is known to have nutritional value as well and is used for type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, hangovers and more, according to WebMD.
There are plenty of prickly pear cacti in Arizona and you can even go pick some if you want (although be careful, it's a delicious fruit but pretty tough) but you can also find it at certain grocery stores. You can make jellies, jams, juice, margarita, candy and so much more with the fruit. But if you don't want to make it yourself visit these 12 places to indulge in what might be your new favorite fruit.
This is the place to get prickly pear flavored things. They have delicious prickly pear lemonade and a barbecue pulled pork torta with prickly pear barbecue sauce. The lemonade is pink and sweet - you'll need more than one glass. The sandwich and barbecue sauce is a great pairing that you'll want to take home.
You'll see this company's cactus flavored candy all over Arizona and it's delicious. This prickly pear cactus candy has been selling candy for more than 50 years and it is delicious. If you see it at a shop be sure to grab some.
You can get a prickly pear margarita at almost any local restaraunt but this one is delicious. It's sweet, refreshing and overall amazing. Be sure to try one and let us know what you think!
This Arizona company sells all things prickly pear - from jam to syrup to butter. It's all prickly pear flavored all of the time and it's to die for. You can put this stuff on just about anything.
This small breakfast place serves up johnnycakes, which are corn and Chile cakes with prickly pear maple syrup poured over them. It's prickly pear so it has to be good, right? Head out to this restaurant and try it!
Head to this Gilbert Cafe and get the "Perfect Prickly Pear Chicken" sandwich. It's prickly pear marinated chicken breast, lettuce, tomato, provolone and new mexican green chile mayonnaise. If you love prickly pear then you are going to love this.
Prickly pear vodka is what this company sells. They make is up in Flagstaff but you can get it at the Westin Kierland Resort in Phoenix. It's served up in a drink called the "Native Arizonan" and is a pink-colored vodka mixed with agave syrup.
At this Scottsdale market you can get prickly pear nectar, a gift box, barbecue sauce, jelly and more. You can also purchase their stuff on their website.
Cheri's prickly pear syrup is all natural and goes well with just about anything. It's sweet and full of flavor. Put it on pancakes in the morning and you'll never want to eat anything else.
You can venture to Sedona and grab some prickly pear ice cream at this tiny ice cream shop. It's pink in color and the best ice cream you'll probably ever have. You might want to order two scoops on a waffle cone.
You can also get prickly pear ice cream in Wickenburg at this shop. Get it on a cone, in a shake in a sundae or even an ice cream soda. You can't really go wrong.
This restaurant serves up prickly pear gelato near Canyon Lake. It's dense, creamy, sweet and delicious.
Prickly pear is served all over the state and is something that everybody should try at least once in their life. It tastes good and it good for you. If you have anything to add tweet at me @_anareynolds.
