Chumbera

Opuntia maxima

Description:

Opuntia ficus-indica, chumbera in Spain, is a domesticated cactus that important in arid and semiarid agricultural economies. It is native to Mexico. Fig opuntia is grown primarily as a fruit crop (higos chumbos in Spain). In Mexico is also grown for the vegetable nopales. Most culinary references to the "prickly pear" are referring to this species. The name "tuna" is also used for the fruit of this cactus. It is also cultivated to host the cochineal, a scale insect that produces carminic acid that deters predation by other insects. Carminic acid can be extracted from the body and eggs then mixed with aluminum or calcium salts to make carmine dye. Carmine is today primarily used as a food colouring and for cosmetics. The plants flower in three distinct colors: white, yellow and red. The flowers first appear in early May through the early summer in the Northern Hemisphere, and the fruit ripen from August through October. The fruit are typically eaten, minus the thick outer skin, after chilling in a refrigerator for a few hours. They have a taste similar to a juicy, extra sweet watermelon. The bright red/purple or white/yellowish flesh contains many tiny hard seeds that are usually swallowed.