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Nopal

Nopal is the edible pad of a prickly pear cactus, commonly cooked in salads, stews, and fillings.

Nopal — illustrative ingredient image

About Nopal

Nopal is the edible young pad of a prickly pear cactus, harvested before the pad becomes heavily fibrous. It is commonly cooked in salads, stews, tacos, and fillings, where the pad serves as a vegetable-like ingredient.

Raw nopal has a fresh vegetal flavour and firm, crisp flesh with a moist interior. Cooking softens the pad and can release a characteristic mucilaginous texture; age and trimming affect tenderness and the amount of mucilage in the finished ingredient.

Nopal is sold as a whole cleaned pad, sliced pieces, or cooked and packaged portions. The green, flattened, oval pad is trimmed of spines and areoles before use; grilling, sautéing, boiling, slicing, and draining change its firmness, moisture, and texture.

Ingredient type
whole food

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Where nopal appears

2 linked foods

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Main dishes

Soups

Ingredient connections awaiting review · Coverage is still growing, including packaged snacks.

Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.

Local names for nopal

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

Nopal

Available names only. Languages may be spoken in other countries; a name alone does not identify every ingredient in a dish.

Nopal nutrition & diet

Nopal nutritional value

Nopales, raw

Per 100 g of the edible portion in the recorded food form.

Calories
16kcal
Protein
1.3g
Carbs
3.3g
Fat
0.1g

Per 100 g of the named reference food. Preparation, cultivar and product formulation can change these values; use the stated form when comparing.

Portions & preparation

Nopal refers to the cleaned edible pad of prickly pear cactus, with spines and tough edges removed. Reference matching should record whether it is raw, grilled, sautéed, boiled, pickled, or canned, because trimming, cooking, brine, and added fat change the portion being described.

Compare the right form: Match cleaned prickly pear cactus pads, specifying raw, cooked, pickled, or canned form and whether spines, edges, and stems are removed.

Diet considerations

Nopal is plant-derived when it consists solely of prickly pear cactus pad. Compatibility changes in prepared dishes containing cheese, meat, eggs, animal fat, or creamy sauces. Pickling brines, coatings, and cereal-based fillings also matter, while the amount served with other carbohydrate-containing foods shapes the overall pattern.

AI-authored reading notes · Awaiting editorial review. Measured values, where available, have a separate source above.

Dietary compatibility

  • Vegan
    Typically compatible
  • Vegetarian
    Typically compatible
  • Pescatarian
    Typically compatible
  • Keto
    Depends on the version
  • Paleo
    Typically compatible
  • Low-carb
    Depends on the version
  • Halal
    Not established
  • Kosher
    Not established
What these diet assessments mean
Vegan · Typically compatible
The plain ingredient profile is plant, fungal or mineral based. Added ingredients in a prepared product need a separate check.
Vegetarian · Typically compatible
The plain ingredient profile is plant, fungal or mineral based. Added ingredients in a prepared product need a separate check.
Pescatarian · Typically compatible
The plain ingredient profile is plant, fungal or mineral based. Added ingredients in a prepared product need a separate check.
Keto · Depends on the version
Compatibility depends on the portion and preparation. A sourced carbohydrate amount for a defined serving is not available.
Paleo · Typically compatible
The plain form fits the conventional paleo food groups. Added ingredients and individual interpretations can differ.
Low-carb · Depends on the version
Compatibility depends on the portion and preparation. A sourced carbohydrate amount for a defined serving is not available.
Halal · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish halal status.
Kosher · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish kosher status.

For the plain ingredient · Awaiting review. Diet compatibility is not allergy suitability or halal/kosher certification. Keto and low-carb depend on the portion.

Reviewed ingredient entryIngredient reference · Preparations vary

AI-generated illustration for visual context. It does not identify a particular product or establish allergen content.

Sources & review

Nutrition reference: USDA FoodData Central — Nopales, raw ↗. Values are scaled from 100 g of the recorded edible form. Individual portions have no assumed fixed weight.

Expanded overview, name examples and nutrition notes are database drafts awaiting editorial review. Numeric nutrition values, where shown, have their own source and food-form reference.

The ingredient description and dish connections come from the draft catalogue and may change after review.

Last recorded verification: .