2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Tsabr (lat. Opuntia ficus-indica) - a plant cultivated for edible fruits belonging to the Cactus family. In science, this culture is called Indian Opuntia, and the people call it tsabrom, Indian fig or fig, as well as prickly pear.
Description
Tsabr is endowed with succulent flattened stalks, densely covered with spines and distinguished by an oval shape. Branching stems fold into bizarre bushes, the height of which often reaches two to four meters. And the leaves of the tsabr are generally absent. Since this plant is a succulent, it can easily endure even the most arid conditions. True, a good harvest of gambers will give only in conditions of moderate watering.
The formation of yellow fluffy flowers of the gingerbread occurs exclusively in the upper parts of the stalks. As for its fruits, they are pear-shaped and can be colored both red and yellow or green. Each fruit is abundantly strewn with thorns and reaches a length of five to seven and a half centimeters. And inside them there is a sweetish translucent pulp, in which you can find large enough seeds.
Where grows
The homeland of the tsabra is Mexico. And now this crop is also cultivated in Madagascar, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Egypt, India, Chile, Israel, Brazil and a number of Mediterranean countries. By the way, wild cabras can also be found on the southern coast of Crimea.
Application
The fruits of the sabra peeled from thorns are used for food - they are equally good both fresh and processed. By the way, an incredibly tasty jam is obtained from the tsabr. And in Mexico, ripe fruits are used with equal success (most often they are dried), and unripe fruits - such fruits are either dried or boiled. Dried unripe fruits are widely used by Mexicans as an excellent seasoning for meat. And in Mexico, they eat the fleshy stalks of gingerbread, however, they are no longer used as a fruit, but as a vegetable. Plates of young stalks are also eaten in North Africa - they are either boiled or baked. In addition, the stalks of this culture are actively fed to livestock.
Tsabr is a low-calorie product. This feature allows you to actively use it in dietary nutrition.
Calcium, which is part of the sabra, has a beneficial effect on bones, nails and hair. Phosphorus is essential for the formation of muscle and bone tissue, and ascorbic acid enhances the body's defenses and strengthens the immune system. If you consume this fruit regularly, you can significantly improve the activity of the kidneys and liver.
Tsabr is also widely used in folk medicine. In this case, not only fruits are used, but also some other parts of plants. For example, crushed dried flowers are actively used in the treatment of measles.
This is not the end of the field of application of the tsabra - luxurious hedges are also obtained from it. And the extract of its stems is used in the form of a lipolytic.
How to cleanse a tsabr?
To peel this bizarre fruit, you should wear gloves and arm yourself with a fork and knife. First, the caps are cut off from the tsabr, and then with the help of a knife an incision is made in the center, after which the peels are unfolded with a fork. This technique allows you to easily separate the juicy pulp.
And if sabra thorns have stuck into the skin, you can try to remove them with adhesive plaster or scotch tape. True, some of them can still remain in the skin.
Contraindications and harm
Tsabr is capable of causing harm only in case of individual intolerance. In addition, you should not constantly abuse this fruit - this can lead to a wide variety of problems in the work of the digestive organs.
