The prickly pear is used in sweets and drinks up to… cosmetics and fodder.

We can produce from sweets and natural dyes to fodder and alcohol from the prickly pears.

In Mexico, from where the prickly pear comes, the famous alcoholic drink, Tequila is produced. In Sicily, they also produce a liqueur, the Ficodi, whereas they produce skin ointments from the fruit and flowers.

The prickly pear is grown mainly for its fruit. However, in many areas the prickly pear is grown to produce a red pigment. Also, another pigment is produced, which is the only food coloring (E120) allowed in the production of sausages, drinks, confectionery etc.

Its fruits are used mainly as fruit. The fruits, like the flowers, have large amounts of vitamin C that is calculated as 0.04% of the juice.

Generally, 2 types of fruit are being sold to people:

- The fruits from the first flowers. These prickly pears have sufficient size and good taste.

- The late fruits. These fruits are produced after the removal of the first buds by hand. These fruits have large size and great taste.

Another product from the prickly pears which has high demand is the oil that is produced by its seeds and distributed on the market as an elixir of youth as it has got beneficial properties for the skin and it is sold at high prices.

For Moroccans, an important derivative of the prickly pears is the AGP protein (aravinogalaktiki) which has got great commercial success. After the fermentation of the prickly pear fruit, a non- alcoholic drink with great taste is produced. In America, a type of white flour is produced from the seed of the prickly pear from which a type of bread is produced.