Xoconostle

The fruit of a particular variety of cactus, xoconostle (pronounced choko-nose-leh) is sour and citrusy, unlike its better-known cousin, the sweet prickly pear cactus fruit. You can purchase the fruits through Rancho Gordo’s website, where they are available sweetened and dried, salty and dried, or plain and dried, ready for rehydrating and very close to the elusive fresh version. They will need to soak in water for a couple of hours, then you can add them to salsas, stews, or other dishes. Or for braised dishes, you can skip the soak and rehydrate them in the dish as it cooks.