Inside its barbed armour it hides a delicious and juicy fruit!
Prickly pear or Indian fig, as it's commonly known, is the beautiful perennial cactus that bears a remarkably special fruit.
Despite its prickly exterior, the prickly pear conceals a tasty and succulent fruit within.
We gather them early in the morning or late in the afternoon when their thorns are softer.
After washing them thoroughly, we clean their outer peel by gently scraping it with a fork or pinching it.
Using a knife, we trim off both ends. Then, we make an incision in their prickly armour from end to end and carefully open them up.
The Indian fig is also an excellent choice for hedging, as its branches contain a high water content. They were traditionally planted along the edges of houses or fields, forming a natural barrier against fires.
Cretan Cuisine Festival
Mizithropites: Authentic Cretan Pies
Meat cake
Chania Boureki or Courgette Boureki
Topia (Balls)
The Traditional 'Bread of the Year'
Snails with Broad Beans and Artichokes
Cretan Ospriada or Palikaria (A Legume Dish)
Chickpeas with Wild Leeks, Flour and Lemon Sauce
Pies with ‘Yachnera’ Greens
Fennel Pie
Sfakian Pie or Sfakianopita
Biscuits with Sesame Seeds
Sweet Rice Pie or 'Tzoulamas'
Apostoli White-Eyed Bean
Almond-Infused Goat Dish with Fennel: A Fresh Delight
Lazarosavato
The Holy Week Sourdough
Nerati Mizithropita
Easter Eggs
Kalikota
Stuffed Courgette Flowers
Stuffed Vine Leaves
Cracked Wheat and Snails
Chochli Boubouristi (Snails Face Down)
Mangiri
Symian Bean
Cretan Pilaf
Rethymno Water Pies
Xerotigana
Agnopites
Patoudo
Safidota
Kakavia (Fish Soup)
Cretan Greek salad
The Sweet Bounty of the Cretan Harvest
Okra and Unripe Grape
Kapriko
Discovering and Cooking Asphodelaceae: A Taste of Local Cuisine
Moustokouloura
Pie with 'Yachnera' Greens: Baked to Perfection
Pumpkin Stifado
Sweet Pumpkin Pies with Raki Leaves (Oven)
Xinochondros: Sour Bulgur Pasta
Black Bryony
Tahini Soup without Oil
Chylofta with Milk
Tyrozouli or Cretan Home Cheese
Pickled Tassel Hyacinth
Sourdough Dagoulakia
Quince Confection
Delicious Homemade Treat with Lemon Blossoms
Tiganopites: Greek Fried Pies
Dietary Practices in 17th Century Crete
Lychnarakia
Lazarakia
Kalitsounia from Chania
Apaki with Xinohondros and Vegetables
Chickpeas with Yachnera: A Delightful Dish
Gastrin
Fotokollyva
Dyeing Easter Eggs with Madder Root and Flower Blossoms
Biza or Manarolia Stew with Eggplants