Ficurinnia/Sicilian Prickly Pear Throw Pillow

Ficurinnia/Prickly Pear is Sicily's most iconic fruit. Although it is native to North America, it was brought back to Europe in the 1500's and quickly flourished in the Mediterranean. The cactus plants which bear these delicious fruits grow all over the island, have been used as fences between neighbouring properties and have come to represent Sicily - calling to mind the bright sun, hot wind, and vivid colours of the island. To taste these sweet, succulent fruits in Sicily during their season is to create a memory which lasts a lifetime. This photo was taken at my friend's home in the Madonie. I was telling him how happy I was to be there in November when the bastardoni ( the bigger and juicier fruits resulting from the second flowering of the plants) are ripe. He smiled and said, " Just walk into my store room, you can eat all the bastardoni you want!" ...and there in his cold strage room were bushel baskets on top of bushel baskets of newly harvested prickly pears!