Prickly pear

Summer in Eritrea tastes of beles – prickly pears sold from buckets on every street corner in Asmara.

A cactus from Mexico with flat, fleshy stem segments covered in tufts of tiny, hooked spines. It forms spreading shrubs 3–5 m tall. In spring it bears large yellow flowers that develop into oval, sweet fruits coloured green, yellow or red. It tolerates drought and poor soils well, so it is used as a hedge, as fodder and to protect against erosion; outside its homeland, however, it can be a troublesome invasive species.

Significance in the country

The prickly pear was introduced to the Eritrean highlands in the 19th century, and today its fruits, beles, are so popular that their season in July and August is almost a holiday; peeled on the street by vendors, they are a cheap source of vitamins for the people of Asmara.

Where it grows

The highlands and escarpments of central Eritrea – around Asmara, in the Southern region (Mendefera, Adi Keyh), in Anseba and on the eastern slopes descending to the sea.

More: Wikipedia (en) Wikipedia (pl)