USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Prickly pear is a large, spiny cactus that bears numerous deep red, juicy-sweet fruits. Early historic observations and archeological data clearly indicate Native Americans relied on prickly pear for food, medicine, and as a source of needles, containers, and water.

Detailed explanation-2: -Edible cactus is also known as nopales (noh-PAH-lays), nopalitos, or cactus pads. The flat green leaves (also known as stems, paddles, or pads) are eaten like a vegetable. When cooked they have a taste comparable to green beans and a texture similar to okra.

Detailed explanation-3: -Seeds, nuts and corn were ground into flour using grinding stones and made into breads, mush and other uses. Many Native cultures harvested corn, beans, chile, squash, wild fruits and herbs, wild greens, nuts and meats. Those foods that could be dried were stored for later use throughout the year.

Detailed explanation-4: -Opuntia, commonly called prickly pear or pear cactus, is a genus of flowering plants in the cactus family Cactaceae. Prickly pears are also known as tuna (fruit), sabra, nopal (paddle, plural nopales) from the Nahuatl word nōpalli for the pads, or nostle, from the Nahuatl word nōchtli for the fruit; or paddle cactus.

Detailed explanation-5: -Corn was the most important staple food grown by Native Americans, but corn stalks also provided a pole for beans to climb and the shade from the corn benefited squash that grew under the leaves.