This country cannot go a single meal without cactus; locals are helpless: please help, there are simply too many

Every country has a different food culture. For example, British people love potatoes, Italians cannot go a single meal without cheese, and Germans must have a hot dog with all three meals a day. But the food culture of this country is baffling. This country cannot go a single meal without "it"; locals are helpless: please help, there are simply too many.

This ingredient is the cactus. Did everyone grow a cactus when they were little? Break off a leaf, toss it anywhere, and it will grow freely on its own, with hardly any cultivation needed. Even if you put it in a pile of sand, it will still grow just fine. No matter how barren the soil or how dry the weather, it is always full of life, reaching straight up into the air.

The cactus is the national flower of Mexico and is praised as the "hero flower of the desert." On that dry plateau, cacti in all their varied forms thrive in the harsh environment, and on their emerald-like pad-shaped stems they can bloom with bright, beautiful flowers. This is the symbol of the strong, brave, unyielding and fearless people of Mexico. Every year, the people of Mexico hold a "Cactus Festival" to showcase the qualities of the cactus. During the festival, the seat of government is decorated with lanterns and streamers, restaurants are set up all around, and various cactus foods are displayed and sold.

The whole cactus can be eaten, yet many people keep their distance from it. It is hard to associate cactus with delicious food, but the people of Mexico can turn cactus into all kinds of dishes. Even so, the cactus's crazy growth rate is still astonishing. Local residents have no choice but to ask China's foodie squad for help: please help, there are simply too many.

But China's foodie squad clearly has little interest in this prickly ingredient. In their view, no matter how it is prepared, this kind of thing is weird cuisine. Mexican cuisine has always been a leader in vegetarian culture, and cactus has become their first choice for all three meals a day. Although cactus looks a bit strange, its nutritional content is indeed rich, and its texture is smooth and juicy.

Mexico has the greatest variety of cacti in the world and has also mastered the richest methods of preparing cactus dishes: cactus scrambled eggs, cactus stir-fried chicken pieces, cactus stir-fried chicken, cactus noodles, cactus pie, cactus tacos, cactus potato soup. As for ways to prepare cactus, the only limit is your imagination; there is nothing they cannot make.

Mexicans not only like to eat cactus, but also like to eat its fruit. Rich in plant fiber and various vitamins, for locals the cactus fruit is the most delicious fruit. It contains antioxidants, can make people's skin delicate, and has anti-aging effects. Mexicans even process cactus into health products and export them abroad.

Cactus fruits come in many colors and are covered in densely packed small spines. Before eating, they need to be cleaned first. They pop a small fruit into their mouths one at a time, and after eating, their mouths are stained with cactus juice and become a "bloody mouth." Besides fresh cactus and cactus fruit, Mexicans also like to make cactus wine, cactus fruit jam, cactus fruit honey drink, cactus fruit preserves and other foods. In Mexico, more than 300 kinds of foods require cactus as an ingredient.

Each place nurtures its own people. This country cannot go a single meal without "it"; locals are helpless: please help, there are simply too many. Do foodies have any secret recipes for eating cactus?