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posted Thursday, September 24, 2009 |
A common fruit that you will see along the Sicilian countryside and in southern Italy is a prickly pear, or cactus fig. In Sicilian it is called fichi d'india (Indian figs). It is very popular in Sicilian cuisine and is used to make candies and jellies. On the island-nation of Malta, it is used to make a popular liqueur known as Bajtra.
The fruit is actually a berry, and the inside is very sweet and is known for it is also used as a digestive aid. The outer skin must be peeled prior to consumption. Colors can vary in color from green to yellow to orange or pink or red, or a combination of all these. The color of the fruit is preceded by blossoms of the same color.
It is also found in southern Portugal, southern Spain, France, Greece and Malta.
Pictured below is a street vendor selling his fichi d'india.
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Labels: cactus figs, fichi d'india, prickly pears
