Jacubo (also known as jacubé, cruzeta, and nopal de cruz, scientific name Acanthocereus tetragonus) is an upright cactus with three to five longitudinal ribs. It occurs from northern South America to the southern United States, inhabiting various kinds of forests. The edible fruit is sweet and is known regionally as pitaya, because it is very similar to the fruit of the same name produced by cultivated cacti of the genus Hylocereus or Stenocereus.
This plant has been used since pre-Hispanic times by the inhabitants of the Huasteca region of Mexico, and its consumption is mainly limited to this area. Even though it is a plant that is easy to manage, many natural populations are in decline due to the destruction of the ecosystems where it lives. In addition, due to changes in the eating habits of the inhabitants of Huasteca, consumption has decreased and therefore there are fewer and fewer backyard gardens where this plant is kept semi-domesticated.
It is important to preserve jacubo because it is a product of wild origin, it serves as a source of food throughout the year and has the same nutritional and beneficial properties as the nopal (Opuntia ficus-indica), and because it produces very attractive, sweet fruits. Wild plants are maintained in backyard orchards, and the new shoots that the plant produces all year round are cut, when still tender, to eat cooked as a vegetable. They are cut crosswise so that the slices have an attractive star shape. They are cooked and used in various stews, sauces, with meats, or simply seasoned with spices and salt. You can also eat them raw in salads with tomato, onion, and vinegar. In general, the taste of jacubo is very similar to one of the most representative foods of Mexican culture, the nopal. Jacubo can potentially be even more appreciated than nopal because it is less mucilaginous.
Back to the archive >Esta planta ha sido aprovechada desde épocas prehispánicas por los habitantes de la región Huasteca de México, y su consumo está prácticamente restringido a esta zona; sin embargo, es una planta de fácil manejo que por la destrucción de los ecosistemas donde habita, tiene cada vez menos posibilidades de mantener sus poblaciones naturales. Además, debido a los cambios en los hábitos alimenticios de los pobladores de esta región, se ha estado perdiendo la tradición de su consumo y por lo tanto son cada vez menos los huertos de traspatio donde se mantiene "semi-domesticada" a esta planta.
Es importante preservarla por ser un producto de origen silvestre, pero que representa una fuente de alimento durante todo el año, con las mismas propiedades nutritivas y benéficas para la salud que poseen los nopales (Opuntia ficus-indica) y que además produce frutos muy atractivos y de sabor muy dulce.
Se aprovechan las plantas silvestres o mantenidas en huertos de traspatio, y los nuevos brotes que la planta produce todo el año son cortados tiernos para comerse cocidos como verdura. Para prepararlos se rebanan transversalmente y así tienen una atractiva forma de estrella. Se cuecen y utilizan en varios guisos con salsas, carnes o simplemente sazonados con especias y sal. También se pueden consumir crudos, en ensaladas con tomate, cebolla y vinagre. En general, el gusto de los jacubes es muy parecido a uno de los alimentos más representativos de la cultura mexicana: los nopales; e incluso pueden ser potencialmente más apreciados por poseer menor cantidad de mucílago que los nopales.
