Prickly pear is a type of cactus, and is by far one of the most prevalent succulents in the Italian islands. The spiky pads (or nopales, if you’re familiar with their Spanish name) grow in bunches year-round, and in the summer months, the plants produce seed-filled fruits (themselves covered in nearly invisible spines), which mature from green to red-orange, to magenta, or deep purple, growing to about the size of a duck egg. When the fruits are sold commercially, they have been cleaned of their spines and are ready to peel and eat: simply slice off the outer skin and eat with a fork and knife—I’d say use your hands, but it’s slippery! Their abundance and watermelon-bubble-gum flavor make prickly pears an appealing ingredient for sweets, and indeed, sapa di fico d’india (prickly pear syrup) is used as an ingredient in many Sardinian desserts. The syrup also makes a fun punch ingredient for a Sardinia-inspired happy hour.