Prickly Pear
Local Food Product
Originating in Mexico, the prickly pear arrived in Europe after the discovery of America. The cultivation of this fruit is very important in the Sicane Terre territory, particularly in the Menfi district, Santa Margherita of Belìce and Montevago. There exist three varieties: the red or blood variety, the white, also know as “muscaredda”, and the yellow, called “sulfarina”, the most common. The prickly pear is greatly appreciated for its strong exotic flavour and for its therapeutic and medicinal properties, given the high content of fibre, mineral salts, vitamins, calcium and iron, to the point of being considered in a number of countries around the world “the fruit of health”, a worthy component of the Mediterranean diet.
