EXOTIC AUTUMN FRUITS

Cacti line the path to LA FINCA with edible fruits on top of them

Where to buy exotic fruits in Mallorca? Do not look far, as the Mediterranean island lies in the subtropics and therefore you will find many exotic fruits right outside the window of your holiday villa with a private pool. Such as the prickly pears on top of cacti surrounding LA FINCA.

Prickly but Edible

You may have seen many cacti lining the typical stonewalls of luxury villas in Mallorca. The red-yellowish egg sitting on top of the huge green leaves is considered a delicacy.

The flesh of these cactus figs is full of vitamins and tastes sweet and sour, slightly reminiscent of a mixture of pear and melon. The seeds in the flesh are safe to eat. Even the leaves of the prickly pear are suitable for consumption.

Just looking no Touching

Nowadays you will find these exotic fruits during your Mediterranean holiday at any of the many luxury villas in Mallorca. They are beautiful to look at but nasty to touch, because of the almost invisible fine barbs. For this reason, they used to be a popular burglar deterrent for farmers. As an addition to dry stone walls, the prickly "natural guards" kept unwelcome guests away.

A Long Way From Home

The fruits, called "figues de moro" in Catalan and "higos chumbos" in Spanish, ripen in September and October and found their way to the Mediterranean region via trade routes from Mexico in the 16th century. The Aztecs consumed the fruit and used it as a medicinal plant at the same time.

Superfruit Cactus

Prickly pears are a welcome source of vitamins and at the same time relatively low in calories. They contain potassium, magnesium and calcium, among other things. Vitamin E, B vitamins and vitamin C are also found in them.

There are a few tricks to follow so that your hands are not peppered with the finest thorns when you eat them. First, put on sturdy gloves, preferably from the gardening department. To do this, skewer the fruit on a fork and remove both ends with the knife. Then cut longways into the skin with the knife and pull it off the flesh. Prickly pears can also be cut in half like a kiwi and spooned out. The small dark seeds are eaten as well. Puree the fruit to make a delicious, fresh smoothie.

Prickly Pear Smoothie - Recipe

4 Prickly Pears (carefully spooned out)

1 Banana

Coconut Water (as liquid as you like your smoothie)

Halve the prickly pears and scrape out the kiwi with a teaspoon and add to the mixing bowl. Peel the banana and also add to the mixing bowl and blend well. Then add coconut water to taste and briefly press the turbo button. Bon Appétit!

Edible prickly pears can be found at LA FINCA