Moroccan · Breakfast

Prickly Pear Breakfast Plate (Handia)

In late summer, street carts and home tables across Morocco pile up peeled prickly pears — the sweet, refreshing fruit of the cactus known as handia or karmous nssara — eaten chilled as a light morning fruit course. Cool, juicy and full of tiny edible seeds, they are a seasonal breakfast that costs almost nothing and tastes of the Moroccan summer.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 0 min
Total: 15 min
Serves: 2
Level: Easy

Ingredients

6 ripe prickly pears (handia), chilled
A squeeze of lemon (optional)
1 tsp honey, to drizzle (optional)
A small pinch of salt (optional)
A few fresh mint leaves, to serve
Cold water or mint tea, to serve alongside

Method

1

Chill first

Chill the whole fruit in the fridge; cold prickly pears are more refreshing and slightly easier to handle.
2

Handle safely

Wearing gloves or holding the fruit with a fork, never bare fingers, as the skin carries tiny near-invisible spines.
3

Top and tail

Slice off both ends of each fruit with a sharp knife.
4

Score and peel

Make a shallow lengthways slit through the skin only, then peel the thick skin back with the knife and fork to reveal the whole fruit inside.
5

Serve chilled

Arrange the peeled fruit on a plate, add a squeeze of lemon if you like, and eat cold with the soft edible seeds.

Chef's tips

Never handle unpeeled prickly pears with bare hands — the fine glochid spines are painful and hard to remove.
Rinsing the whole fruit under running water helps knock off loose spines before you start.
The many small seeds are edible; eat them with the flesh as Moroccans do, or spit them out if you prefer.

Frequently asked questions

Are prickly pear seeds safe to eat?

Yes, the small seeds are edible and usually swallowed with the flesh. Some people find them heavy in quantity, so eat in moderation.

When are prickly pears in season in Morocco?

High summer into early autumn, roughly July to September, when carts of peeled handia appear on street corners across the country.