Cactus Pear (Prickly Pear)

The barrel-shaped fruit of a cactus (*Opuntia ficus-indica*), not a pear at all, with jewel-toned flesh running from deep magenta through orange to green. Its flavor sits between watermelon and bubblegum, mild and lightly floral, and hard edible seeds are scattered throughout. The skin carries tiny barbed glochids that must be removed before handling.