Prickly pears are known in Malta, as “Bajtar tax-xewk”.

They grow almost everywhere in Malta. In the past farmers would use it as boundary between fields and borderlines between main roads and farmland.

The prickly pear plant produces a delicious fruit which is enjoyed by many locals from August till October. Malta’s most common types of prickly pear are known as the white, yellow and red.

For cooking it is used for jams, jellies, and liqueurs.

The Maltese liqueur produced from local abundant prickly pears provides sweet tasting, perfect for an aperitif.

Maltese people believe prickly pears to have medicinal and skincare benefits.