Photo by Ron Dollette/Flickr (Creative Commons)
Ensalada de nopales at one of L.A.’s Guelaguetza restaurants, which serve Oaxacan-style Mexican food, December 2007
I’ll admit that there’s nothing terribly unconventional about nopales, the fourth item in this week’s series of unsung ethnic delicacies. Nopales, or nopalitos, are made from the cooked paddles of the prickly pear cactus and are standard fare in Mexico, and thus in Southern California.
But the items we’re talking about here are not necessarily unusual, just unsung. I hadn’t thought of including nopales, but a note from a reader this week reminded me of why they’re not particularly popular with those who didn’t grow up with them: “babas,” or in English, slime.
Which is a crying shame, because when prepared well, the slime is gone and the nopales are delicious, with a tangy taste and a texture not unlike green beans. Yadhira De Leon wrote on KPCC’s Facebook page that they are are “good for you and filling.”
She added, “You just have to rinse them real good to get the slime off.”
Nopales are good for you. They are low in carbohydrates and are believed to be stabilize blood sugar and lower cholesterol, among other things.
