Mexican Alcoholic Beverages - Kahlua, Mezcal, Margarita, Opuntia, Beer in Mexico, Pulque, Chicha, Michelada, Casa Dragones, Sotol, Rompope (Paperback)

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pages: 29. Chapters: Kahlua, Mezcal, Margarita, Opuntia, Beer in Mexico, Pulque, Chicha, Michelada, Casa Dragones, Sotol, Rompope, Balche, Cerveza preparada, Bacanora, Mezcal worm, Tepache, Raicilla, Paloma, Kamora. Excerpt: and see text Opuntia, also known as nopales or paddle cactus (see below), is a genus in the cactus family, Cactaceae. Currently, only prickly pears are included in this genus of about 200 species distributed throughout most of the Americas. Chollas are now separated into the genus Cylindropuntia, which some still consider a subgenus of Opuntia. Austrocylindropuntia, Corynopuntia and Micropuntia are also often included in the present genus, but like Cylindropuntia they seem rather well distinct. Brasiliopuntia and Miqueliopuntia are closer relatives of Opuntia. The most commonly culinary species is the Indian Fig Opuntia (O. ficus-indica). Most culinary uses of the term "prickly pear" refer to this species. Prickly pears are also known as "tuna," "nopal" or nopales, from the Nahuatl word n palli for the pads, or nostle, from the Nahuatl word n chtli for the fruit; or paddle cactus (from the resemblance to the ball-and-paddle toy). This and similar species are native to Mexico. The genus is named for the Ancient Greek city of Opus. Typical habitus of an Opuntia with fruitPrickly pears typically grow with flat, rounded platyclades that are armed with two kinds of spines; large, smooth, fixed spines and small, hairlike prickles called glochids, that easily penetrate skin and detach from the plant. Many types of prickly pears grow into dense, tangled structures. Like all true cactus species, prickly pears are native only to the Western hemisphere; however, they have been introduced to other parts of the globe. Prickly pear species are found in abundance in Mexico, especially in the central and western regions. They are a...