For my brothers and me, summertime meant grand plans for TV marathons and backyard escapades. My mom’s unique idea of fun, however, loomed as an inevitable interruption. On seemingly random mornings, she would wake us up at dawn, insisting we visit my tia’s house.

There, my mom and her sisters would head out to the nopalera—a field filled with prickly pear cacti—with us kids in tow, clutching plastic bags. My cousins and I would spend the morning trailing behind, watching as our mothers meticulously inspected the nopales, cutting only the best for our bags. Just as the sun began to reach its highest point in the sky, we’d hear the glorious words, “ya acabamos” (we’re done), which signaled our liberation. Our moms would gather the bags and head home, leaving us free to plunge into our first adventure of the day: the backyard playground.

By noon, those nopales would be transformed into vibrant stews, cooked into scrambled eggs, grilled alongside meat, and added to fresh salads. Yet, what often went unnoticed by us kids was the beautiful camaraderie at the kitchen table, where our moms shared stories while deftly cleaning the nopal pads of thorns and slicing them for cooking. Looking back, I cherish those moments, grateful for the chance to witness this rich tradition that connects me to my ancestral roots in Mexico.

In Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, “nopal” translates to “fruit of the earth,” and for good reason. Nopales thrive throughout Mexico, with over 100 varieties to discover! Not only are they incredibly nutritious, but they also carry a rich tapestry of history. One of my favorite legends tells the story of the Aztec tribes as they settled in what is now Mexico City.

According to legend, the Aztecs fled a tyrannical king under the guidance of the god Huitzilopochtli, who instructed them to seek a new home in the Valley of Mexico. They would know they had arrived when they witnessed an eagle with a snake clutched in its beak land on a nopal cactus.

Sure enough, the explorers spotted an eagle swooping down to feast and landing on a nopal on a small island in the middle of a lake. In joyous celebration, they established their new capital, Tenochtitlan, which means “the land of the nopal cactus” or “the place where a cactus grows from a stone.” This iconic image is now beautifully represented on the Mexican flag.

You may have heard it said, “add more green foods to your diet!” and there are so many vegetable options out there to that. However, I hope that as you read this you begin including nopales into that list! One of the amazing things about the nopal is its versatility. They can be eaten raw, sauteed, pickled, grilled—and even added as pizza toppings! Some ways nopales are added to Mexican dishes include tacos, tostadas, mole, smoothies, salads, soup, and more.

You might have heard the advice to “add more green foods to your diet!” With so many vegetable options available, I hope you’ll consider adding nopales to your list. One of the remarkable things about nopales is their versatility; they can be enjoyed raw, sautéed, pickled, grilled, and even used as pizza toppings! In Mexican cuisine, nopales shine in a variety of dishes, including tacos, tostadas, mole, smoothies, salads, and soups, among others.