The cactus is native to the American continent of Mexico. In 1999, it was introduced to our country by the High-quality Agricultural Products Development Service Center of the Ministry of Agriculture. After cultivation and propagation, it was first successfully planted in Jinya Town, Langzhong, Sichuan Province. After the town successfully cultivated thousands of acres of edible Mexican cacti, in addition to supplying the catering industry across the country, it also exported the "mother stock" to other provinces. Now, planting and eating cacti has gradually become a fashion in various regions south of the Yangtze River.
Edible cacti are rich in nutrition. They can be eaten raw as fruits or cooked into dishes. Local restaurant chefs have developed and created more than 100 delicious cactus dishes. "Cactus Juice Fish Rolls," "Cactus Cold-dressed Pork Tripe," "Shredded Pork with Cactus," and "Cactus Chicken Cubes" all have unique flavors, are smooth, fresh, tender, and fragrant, and are very popular with diners. Moreover, Mexican cacti are grown without chemical fertilizers or pesticides, making them a natural, green food with no pollution.
Cacti are not only a green food but also have medicinal and beauty benefits. According to animal experiments, cacti have strong anti-inflammatory and sterilizing effects. When fed finely chopped cactus, chickens were cured of fowl plague, a disease that modern medicine could not handle. Applied externally, mashed cactus juice can treat various skin inflammations, sores, and scabies. Mexican medical experts have also achieved good results in treating stomach ulcers with cacti.