On a recent family vacation
to Sicily I noticed, near Syracuse, what looked like managed fields of cacti-
not random cacti here and there, but cacti organized into rows, like apple
trees in an orchard. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me but then came
to discover that cacti are farmed in cacti plantations in Eastern Sicily,
mostly for their prickly pears.
Prickly Pear fruit |
As far as I can tell, there are
two sorts or prickly pears in Sicily (also called ‘tuna’ which is hard for me to wrap my
mind around), the ‘bastardoni’ (big bastards), a fat succulent
variety, and ‘agostani,” a smaller variety. Opuntia
is the genus (named for the Ancient Greek city of Opus) of the cactus family Cactaceae, and the most common culinary
species is the ficus-indica (Opuntia,
ficus-indica), the type of cacti cultivated in Sicily. DNA analysis
suggests that Opuntia ficus-indica
originated from a species native to Mexico and the plant spread to parts of the
Americas in pre-Columbian times. Post-Columbus it spread to other parts of the
world (especially the Mediterranean) in part due to ships carrying prickly pears to prevent scurvy (they are rich in
vitamin C).
The O. ficus-indica plant can produces three
different colors of flowers: white, yellow and red. Flowers appear in late
spring and the fruit ripens in late summer through the fall. To get bastardoni,
you apparently cut off the spring cactus flowers. This results in a second
flowering in the fall during the rainier season and this, in turn, produces fatter,
juicier prickly pears. Legend has it that this practice started as a result of
a feud over the property line between neighbors (cacti are sometimes used to
mark boundaries). One neighbor cut off the flowers of the other neighbor’s
cacti to destroy his prickly pear crop, only to find that come fall the
resulting prickly pears were larger and juicier than ever.
Opuntia ficus-indica in Sicily |
If you want to sample a
bastardoni harvest is in the fall and they are usually available through
December in outdoor markets. It is a little tricky to eat a prickly pear
without hurting yourself. You need to carefully peel it (it is recommended that
gloves be worn) to get rid of the prickly spines, or glochids, that are studded
throughout. If you don’t do this properly glochids will lodge in your lips,
tongue and throat, “causing discomfort.”
Some have dealt with this by rolling the fruit in sand or rotating it in
flame to get rid of them. According to one website, the
best course of action is to order prickly pears in a restaurant and have the
restaurant staff take care of this difficult bit. Good advice as far as I can
see.
We visited Syracuse in June
when prickly pears are not in season, so we, unfortunately, missed out on this
experience. However, I’ve come to learn that the fruit can range in color from
white to deep crimson, and it has a mild, citrusy flavor. One website described
it "like a pear with an identity crisis." The pulp is also rife with seeds,
which you eat along with the fruit. One website advised that eating prickly
pears should be avoided by "those who have problems digesting seeds.” Isn’t the
whole point of seeds that they are difficult to digest? Who is left to eat
prickly pears? Another cautioned that prickly pears can cause constipation if
the seeds are eaten, but acts as a laxative if they are removed. I’m starting
to feel like we dodged a bullet.
Apart from enjoying prickly
pears au nature, you can also enjoy prickly pear liqueur (the Sicilian
village of Gagliano Castelferrato produces ficodi, in Malta they produce
bajtra, and on Saint Helena island they produce Tungi Spirit) or a sweet prickly
pear granite (which purportedly tastes “like watermelon juice imbued with
banana and oranges”). The leaves (called cladodes) are also edible, and when
stripped of their spines can be cooked like a vegetable. Other prickly pear
products include candy and jelly. Cactus leaf sap has also been used in hair
conditioners, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. Of interest, the insect Dactylopius coccus, from which cochineal
is derived (a red dye) lives on Opuntia
cacti, although mostly Mexican varieties.
The prickly pear honey that I have is produced by Emanuele Scammacca Barone del Murgo, an operation based in Zafferana Etna, a small town on the southeastern slope of Mount Etna. They are, however, known primarily for their wine and olive oil, and have been in this business since 1850. Apparently the volcanic soil around Mount Etna imbues the wine with "aromatic complexity and personality."
The head of the operation is Baron Emanuele Scammacca Del Murgo. His sons, Michele, Pietro and Matteo are also part of the family business. According to The Heirs of Europe blogspot, the Barony of Murgo was created in 1409 and first conferred on Blasco Scammacca, a medic of King Martin I of Sicily.
Honey production seems to be a side business for the Baron. The only information on the Murgo website is that they produce three types of honey (lemon, orange and prickly pear), that the honey is organic, and that the honey is tasty and unique.
Miele di flori di Fico dIndia |
The jar that I have states that the honey was collected in January of 2013. It has started to crystallize with large crystals making the honey chunky. It is a soft yellow, cloudy, opaque color. I think prior to crystallization it was probably a mellow yellow color. It is a sweet, uncomplicated honey with no particular floral or herbal undertones. It has a nice clean, honey taste from beginning to end. What makes it unusual is the large crystal texture. This honey would be perfect on thick, plain yoghurt or hot buttered toast. In tea it would be wonderful, but you'd lose the chunky texture that gives it character.