Nopalito

Finely diced nopal cactus pads, with tomatoes, green onions, and crumbled cheese

Nopal salad, with the nopal pads cut into strips

Nopalitos is a dish made with diced nopales, the naturally flat stems, called pads, of prickly pear cactus (Opuntia). They are sold fresh, bottled, or canned and less often dried. They have a light, slightly tart flavor, and a crisp, mucilaginous texture. Nopalitos are often eaten with eggs as a breakfast and in salads and soups as lunch and dinner meals.

Nopalitos contain galactogamin gums which retard the absorption of their sugars by the digestive system and are thus considered to have a low glycemic index. They may help in the treatment of diabetes.

See also

• List of Mexican dishes
• food portal