Discover the nopal cactus of Quebec (Video)

]It was discovered that the nopal cactus grows in Quebec. This variety is edible and is used as a vegan taco filling. Kévin from Lili and Gordo met Guillaume in the greenhouses of Le cactus fleuri in Sainte-Marie-Madeleine. We discuss the growth of the plant and how to cook it like in Mexico.We are currently at Le Cactus Fleuri in Sainte-Marie-Madeleine, near Saint-Hyacinthe.

TRANSCRIPTION***

Discover the nopal cactus from Quebec

Hi everyone!

Today, we discovered something really special.

We discovered that there were cacti, in fact, nopales that grow in Quebec in greenhouses.

I met Guillaume.

Hello!

Guillaume will tell us a little about all the fresh cacti, the nopales, everything, what is edible, it’s a world.

Yes really, really, it’s quite surprising and what I understood is that on your side at Lili and Gordo’s you cook it, in fact.

Yes, we have a cactus mixiote.

So the nopal is a taco filling that is vegan.

It’s something, from what I understand, that is quite common in Mexico, but when we introduce it here in Quebec, people are always surprised.

Well yes, nopal, what makes the plant interesting?

One is its growth because a cactus like this, you can see it here at the top, there are lots of new rackets and every time you remove rackets, the plant tends to want to reproduce them and it’s one of the cacti that produces the fastest.

That’s one of the reasons why yes, we use it in cooking, but I’m sure you’ve already heard that we even use it for ethanol now for really other styles of use.

So what makes it very interesting to us is its growth.

As much for us here as producers as the customer at home who says, I’d like to eat it.

We cut a little and two or three weeks later, we are able to have a fairly continuous production in summer.

Is it a vegetable?

In fact, it is considered a plant here for us, but around the world some regions might consider it to be a vegetable.

So, that’s what makes it a little bit surprising there.

Wow, that’s really interesting, doesn’t it sting in?

It depends, you have to be careful.

It doesn’t seem to sting, but there can still be a few micro stings.

So, if you look near the white dots, you see a few of them.

So, when we work on this cactus, what’s fun is that there are much less spikes than other opuntias which are very unpleasant, but the fact remains that we will be careful, all the white dots, we will tend to remove them to be able to eat it afterwards.

We call them halos, that’s when we go to see the spikes.

Wow, so we could leave with that, let it grow and be made, cook it at home after that?

Absolutely, that’s how we suggest it to people, it’s really a way to grow and produce it.

Are you the only ones in Quebec to do this?

In Quebec, yes, really it’s going to be here Le Cactus Fleuri, it’s the only producer of cacti and succulents wholesaler.

After that, it’s sure that it’s growing more and more in the cactus, it’s become super trendy, but yes in Quebec, Le Cactus Fleuri since 1976, it’s the only producer of cacti and succulents.

Is it growing fast?

This one is really in the fastest.

You see snowshoes that have started to grow, small snowshoes like that here, you leave it there let’s say in winter, it’s a little slower, but in summer, a snowshoe like you have here in two, three weeks it has grown.

And the big guys over there, how long does it take?

Well, that’s it, after that there are years, but there is also the fact that we remove a lot of racquets so, the time can become variable, but I would say that here, these are racquets that have been cut and planted, that are about a year, a year and a half old and after that you can go and get that there it can be three, four, five years.

You can see it by the bark that is growing, it defines it, there are people who are even afraid of it, who look at their cactus, who say, there’s brown at the bottom.

He is starting to have a hard time, he may be sick.

It is the opposite, it becomes woody, like a tree.

So those will be more than three to five years that we see behind.

Wow, that’s hot, really fascinating.

We’re going to leave with that, we’re going to make revenues.

Lili, I think she’s going to know what to do with this, I’m not going to take care of it, but wow I can’t wait.

Lili, are you going to, what are you going to do with this?

I’m going to grill it now that the BBQ starts.

Grilled, have you ever tried it?

Like a burger, grilled on the BBQ with cheese and sides, or in a grilled cactus salad.

I’ve seen grilled recipes before, but no I’ve never tried it and with the beautiful temperatures coming up, I think it’s definitely worth discovering this.

It’s time to get out the BBQ.

Well, here, it’s summer all year round, it’s hot.

Yes, but still, outside, we had beautiful temperatures that make us think we’re taking out the BBQ.

In Quebec, as soon as it’s ten degrees outside, summer has arrived, it’s not like in Mexico.

Listen Guillaume, thank you, a great discovery.

Look, I really didn’t know you could find fresh nopal here in Quebec, it’s just wow.

It’s a pleasure and thank you to you too for coming to introduce us, I’ve never tasted Lili and Gordo.

Now, I know that you leave a little here so, we will enjoy it and I am sure that with enthusiasts like you, I am sure that it will be delicious.

Thank you very much Guillaume and are you at?

Here we are at 1850 Rang Nord-Ouest in Sainte-Marie-Madeleine.

Sainte-Marie-Madeleine in Montreal is about 30 to 40 minutes, from Drummondville about 20 to 30 minutes, but we are very close to Saint-Hyacinthe and Saint-Hilaire, in between.

In any case, thank you, we’re leaving with several and we’re going to cook this.

Great, have a great day everyone!

Thank you bye!