Xoconostle, from the Mexican desert to your table and body

The xoconostle is a fruit similar to cactus, but with an acid taste, with great nutritional properties. It is rich in antioxidants and fiber, so it strengthens the immune system. The peel of a single xoconostle provides one-third of the minimum daily requirement of vitamin C.

The xoconostle, joconostle or xoconoxtle, is a variety of cactus whose fruit is with a sour taste that is used in the preparation of different foods, but it is also an excellent ingredient against diabetes. This variety of cactus is important from different points of view since the xoconostle has been an important factor of economic sustenance for Mexican farmers who use them in their diet and as alternative medicine, as well as from the ecological point of view because of its resistance to drought due to its enormous adaptation to climatic changes and its contribution to the formation of the soil.

The name xoconostle comes from the Nahuatl "xococ" which means sour and "nochtl" cactus. This fruit comes from the variety of cactus known as Opuntia Joconostle; it has a great resemblance to the prickly pear but with a sour taste, and in its pulp we can find important nutritional quantities for our organism. In some research conducted by the National Institute of Forestry, Agricultural, and Livestock Research (INIFAP), it was evaluated and found that the content of nutritional and pharmaceutical compounds of xoconostle, in its fresh consumption, along with the peel, provides a large number of antioxidants.

The main states that produce xoconostle cuaresmeño are the State of Mexico, San Luis Potosí, Hidalgo, Puebla and Querétaro, and to a lesser extent Aguascalientes, Zacatecas and Guanajuato. The State of Mexico stands out as a producer.

It is rich in antioxidants and fiber, so it strengthens the immune system. The peel of just one xoconostle provides one-third of the minimum daily requirement of vitamin C for an adult. Good results have also been found for regular consumption of xoconostle fruit peel to regulate glucose, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. It is regularly consumed in sauces, moles, stews, or salads, but it is also used to prepare jams, sweets, snacks, and fresh water.

Characteristics of xoconostle: a food with great potential

This article discusses the properties of this plant so important for the people of central Mexico. History shows us that there are many uses for Opuntia xoconostle. This plant has the characteristics to be considered a valuable food of the XXI century.

New biological fluid processing techniques offer a promising future for xoconostle. The determination of the electrical properties of foods is a recent line of research. Membrane separation technology and processes that use electrical energy as a means of preservation should become more important in the short and medium-term. Here we propose the use of electro-dialysis with bipolar ion-exchange membranes as a method to stabilize the sensory properties of Xoconostle juice concentrate.

By treating these juices with an electro-dialyzer, in the same way as it could have been done with a pasteurizer or a sterilizer, it is possible to preserve the color, viscosity, acidity, and even the aroma of this essential element of Mexican cuisine.

In the 21st century, the old polluting industry, consisting of huge boilers that burn oil by hand and waste large amounts of energy with very high pollution of the environment, is gradually being displaced by the technology of non-thermal treatment of food.

Location

In the southernmost region of North America lies a very peculiar arid zone. There, the relationship between climate, soil, and plant diversity has produced plant organisms that have the property of preventing water loss during the hot days in the desert.

These plants belong to the Cactaceae family. The Sagüaros are gigantic cacti that define the landscape of the arid zones of northern Mexico, while in the tropical jungle of southern Mexico you can find the Pitahayas, those lianas with large fruits, red on the outside and white on the inside with seeds of a contrasting blackness. In the middle of these two extremes are the mammillarias, those tiny cacti that expose their bodies to the sun at the foot of the mountains of central Mexico.

The nopal cactus and its fruit belong to this family. In the southern Mediterranean Sea, the nopal cactus is gaining ground as it colonizes the dunes north of the Sahara. This nopal is recommended in the Sahel, and in Sudan where the lack of food causes livestock to perish. All the fruits of cacti can be of commercial importance. This brief article is intended to introduce the xoconostles.

Aridity and nutrition

In addition to being cacti with a multiplicity of forms, cacti are plant organisms arranged in such a way that they can reserve all the water they need to grow and thrive in extreme conditions. Their metabolism revolves around the need to live in climates where other plants, such as corn, could not remain. Faced with the high temperatures of the desert, cacti are forced to close their pores so as not to transpire, since excessive water loss would cause their death.

Cactaceae insulate themselves from the environment using thick skin. During the day, photosynthesis accumulates inulin, a valuable polysaccharide. At night, the pores of the cacti open and absorb the oxygen they so desperately need to breathe while releasing the carbon dioxide that has accumulated during the day. This carbon dioxide dissolved in the water is ionized in the form of carbonic acid. Having dissolved an acid in the internal medium of the nopal cactus, an inulin-carbonic acid chemical complex is formed, which has great consequences for the nutritional use of these plants.

Inulin is a polysaccharide that is not assimilated by the human body. Inulin can only be digested by certain microorganisms (probiotics) present in the lower intestinal tract, which are predominant in ruminants. The acidity of nopales reinforces the impossibility of digesting inulin. It is for this reason that Nopales help to lose weight. Although this is a good advantage for obese adults, in children who are growing and who consume a lot of tunas, nopales, and xoconostles without cooking, the final result is low body size.

All this complicated game of acidity and basicity makes it clear that it is not convenient to base a human growth diet exclusively on prickly pear cactus, prickly pear cactus, and xoconostles. But it also opens the way for a whole series of possibilities for using cacti and their fruits in food by different forms of non-thermal cooking that regulate the acidity and dissolve the inulin. There also remains the possibility for these plants to be used for animal feed.

History

Xoconostle in prehistoric times was food for birds, insects, and small mammals that inhabited the highlands. When man settled in the region, he tasted the fruits and appreciated them, taking advantage of them for consumption. In the 13th century, the Chichimecas were led by King Nopaltzin, lord of Tenayuca and a great patron of the indigenous culture. Their influence extended throughout the Aztec empire.

According to Clavijero (Historia De Las Cosas De La Nueva España), Nopaltzin was the first Chichimec king who had a polished education and founded a dynasty that included Netzhualcoyotl. On the other hand, Nopaltzin was also the first Aztec lord who spoke of the conservation of natural resources. For him, the nopaleras were very valuable plant communities and he advocated their use as living fences.

For the Spaniards who discovered the Nopal in the 16th century, the Xoconostle was the fig of barbarism, and that is the scientific name ficus (fig) indica (from India or barbarian lands) as opposed to the then civilized Spain. During the colony, the sweet prickly pear was preferred and the xoconostle was left aside, but with the independence, this began to change; the humble dishes of the indigenous cuisine became known to the whole world and the Mole de Olla, with its essential ingredient, the Xoconostle, came to assume the level of importance it has today.

Nopal fruit qualities

The nopales are the sustenance of the Amerindian culture. The most appetizing of the nopales is the Tuna, which is consumed mainly from June to September because at that time it reaches its optimum degree of ripeness. Like many other fruits, the prickly pear cactus follows a growth process that begins with the pollination of the flower. The fertilized prickly pear cactus flower changes until it reaches a peak or period called climacteric.

At this point, its texture, sugar content, and color reach their optimum condition. Then the fruit begins to decline, it is the senescence. In principle, unripe or overripe fruits are not suitable for fresh consumption, the cactus fruit that is unsuitable for fresh consumption is called Xoconoztle. This name comes from the Nahuatl: Xocotl = green or unripe fruit and Nochtli = cactus.

Regardless of the sensory quality, there is also a classification in terms of sanitary quality, sick, damaged, or defective fruit should not be accepted.

Xoconostle

Within the natural wealth of the country, and more particularly in the region that includes Guanajuato are the Xoconostle that modern taxonomists have decided to call Opuntia matudae and even Opuntia xoconostle better known as tuna agria. This variety of prickly pear is important from several points of view besides the cultural one since the Xoconostle has been an important factor of economic sustenance of the Mexican peasant who uses them in his feeding and as alternative medicine and from the ecological point of view for his resistance to the drought due to his enormous adaptation to the climatic changes and his contribution to the formation of the ground.

Given the physiological characteristics that this plant possesses in terms of its ease of reproduction, adaptation to soil acidity, and the great diversity of species in the region, as well as the low agronomic management that it requires, these qualities make it an excellent alternative to face some problems in the southwestern zone of Guanajuato, such as soil erosion, soil erosion, soil erosion, soil erosion, and soil erosion, The objective of the project is to identify the varieties of Xoconostle present in some municipalities in the southwestern region of Guanajuato, such as soil erosion, poor use in mountainous areas, water scarcity, and low employment and development opportunities in some communities.

Other projects to utilize this abundant raw material are considering the possibility of using Xoconostle pulp as biofilters and as membranes for packaging.

Conclusion

In addition to the ahuates (thorns), the fruits of the nopal have a drawback that makes them unappreciated by consumers. Their flesh is full of seeds that get stuck in the teeth and release gums that hinder digestion. This has been avoided by producing improved hybrid varieties that are free of seeds. Genomics may give us many surprises in the coming years in this field.

Another method to make cactus fruits more digestible is to cook them. This is what is done with Xoconostle. But cooking Xoconostle does not mean polluting processing as it used to be done in oil and gas-based industrial kitchens. Electro-dialysis can offer more natural Xoconostle juice with better sensory properties. This innovative technique can open new arrangements to try another way to prepare Xoconostle juice useful in Mexican cuisine recipes such as mole de olla, or in the new fusion cuisine that proposes such delicious things as a kid with xoconostle and Belgian beer or a champurrado with Xoconostle, just to start the list of culinary surprises.

Xoconostle water with guava recipe

Ingredients (4 servings):

2 xoconostles

2 guavas

1 liter of water

4 teaspoons sugar

Ice to taste

Preparation:

Peel the xoconostles. Cut guavas and xoconostles into small pieces. Blend the xoconostles and guavas with a little water. Strain back into the pitcher. Dissolve the sugar and blend. Stir in the ice cubes and enjoy.

Xoconostle sauce recipe

Ingredients (10 servings):

3 xoconostles

¼ red onion

4 green chilies

2 garlic cloves

½ cup cilantro

Salt to taste

Preparation:

Roast the xoconostles, onion, chiles, and garlic. Peel the xoconostles and remove the seeds. Grind all the ingredients in the molcajete. Stir in cilantro and salt. Enjoy.

Xoconostle broth recipe

Ingredients (6 servings):

1½ liter chicken broth

15 xoconostles

6 green tomatoes in chunks

½ sliced onion

1 tablespoon flour

¼ cup chopped cilantro

2 cloves garlic

3 guajillo chiles

3 teaspoons oil

Salt to taste

Preparation:

Peel, slice and remove the seeds from the xoconostles. Remove the seeds from the guajillo chiles. Sauté the chiles in the hot oil and set aside. Sauté the onion and garlic in the same pan. Add the tomatoes and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the flour and mix until golden brown. Add the chicken broth and the xoconostles. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes over low heat. Add the cilantro, chiles, and salt. Boil for 5 more minutes. Enjoy.

Sources: Gob.mx, Elpoderdelconsumidor.org, Vinculando.org