I can literally talk food until my babas drip. Don’t judge. The comelón life chose me and I’m not mad at it. Because growing up Latino meant breakfast wasn’t always cereal, and dinner wasn’t always mac and cheese. I grew up con más sabor en mis platillos than most Americans. And, at the time, I didn’t even realize that many of the foods my family was trying to get me to eat were ancestral foods. From chocolate to cocoa and chia to nopalitos, I blame los ancestros for my obsession with food and all the glorious ingredients that have been passed down for generations.

My knees already feel weak, fam, because today I’m gonna be talking nopalitos. Ya me estoy chupando los dedos, thinking back to how I grew up with these babies always in the refri in that Nopalitos jar, ready to be thrown into a sauce or encima de una carne asada. It turns out this soul-feeding food is one of the OG ancestral foods that have been used by our people for thousands of years. Ahí les va un poco de historia:

The Mexica introduced the world to the “fruit of the Earth.”

In Náhuatl, the word for nopal translates to “fruit of the Earth.” I don’t know what the Náhuatl word for “bomb-delicioso” is, but in my opinion, that should also be the name for nopales. And the Aztecs must have felt this way too because one of the most famous cities in the Aztec Empire – Tenochtitlán, the empire’s religious center – was named “prickly pear on a rock.” Iconic.

According to legend, the city was built after an Azteca priest spotted an eagle perched on a nopal plant, carrying a snake in its mouth. The priest, obviously extremadamente blown away by this, ran back to his village just so he could gather everyone to check out this crazy eagle with a snake in its mouth. As they watched, the cactus beneath the eagle grew into an island – eventually becoming Tenochtitlán. I’ll give you 3 seconds to just process that. 1…2…3. Please take more time if you need it. The image of the eagle carrying a snake, its golden talons perched on a nopal growing from a rock, can now be found on the Mexican flag.

Today, we know that the Mexica were right to call nopales the plant of life.

In Mexico, it’s still common to place a handful of nopal flowers in a bath to help relax achy muscles. And nopales are becoming more popular than ever in beauty treatments to help fight aging. But, y’all are too beautiful to be needing them for that, so let’s talk about what’s important — eating them.

There are so many ways you can mix this iconic ingredient into your meals.

We should all be eating our green foods. Your tía, your abuela, your primo, everyone…except your ex. Your ex can eat basura. I said what I said. But, nopalitos are especially important. These tenacious desert plants can be eaten raw, sautéed, pickled, grilled – they’re even used as pizza toppings. Though for some people, nopales – with their spines and texture – can be intimidating. After cutting off the spines and edges, and cutting them into slices, they will bleed a clear slime. But boiling for 20 minutes will take care of that. Or make it even easier on yourself and avoid espinas by buying them all ready-to-go from the brand we all know and love, DOÑA MARIA® Nopalitos.

Check it out, I’m even gonna hook it up with that good-good, because if you’re looking for ways to enjoy your nopales, I got’chu with some starter links to recipes: Hibiscus and Nopal Tacos, Nopal Tostadas, Roasted Nopales con Mole, and Lentil Soup con Nopales.  One of my personal favorite ways to eat them is in a beautiful Cactus Salad, full of color and flavor. Trust. I rate these dishes 10 out of 10, guaranteed to make your babas drip, and when you eat this ensalada de nopalitos, you will remember even your ancestors were dripping babas over this waaay before it was cool to eat plant-based foods.

So let’s give the poderoso nopal the spotlight it deserves by adding it to our shopping lists more often.

Rich in history, mythology, and practical uses, the nopal’s enduring popularity is a testament to its versatility. It’s time to give this classic ingredient the respect it deserves and recognize just how chingon our ancestors are for making nopales fire before plantbase foods were even trending.

Next time you’re at the supermercado, do your ancestors proud and add nopales to your shopping cart by picking up a jar of DOÑA MARIA® Nopalitos. This easy-to-use food will definitely give you a major boost of pride in your roots. Viva los nopalitos bay-beh!

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Venezuelan singer-songwriter Micro TDH released his new single “El Tren.” Puerto Rican rapper Myke Towers hitches a ride on their real-life train in the music video.

Micro TDH is one of Venezuela’s premier rapper-singers.

“El Tren” is Micro TDH’s second taste of new music this year. In February, he released the acoustic ballad “Ni Vivo Ni Muerto” with fellow Venezuelan artist Lasso. That music video has over 17 million views.

Though Micro TDH’s songs are very romantic right now, he started out as a rapper in Venezuelan’s Latin trap scene. He rose to prominence in the country with Big Soto, another local rapper-turned-singer. The two recently collaborated on the song “Lloro” on Big Soto’s The Good Trip album.

Micro TDH is breaking through globally thanks to his work with Karol G’s producer.

In 2018, Micro TDH became more of a global presence after signing with Big Ligas. The label is headed by Colombian producer Ovy on the Drums, who is most known for his hits with Karol G. Micro TDH’s first hit with Big Ligas was “Aqui Estoy,” which has over 26 million views on YouTube. He is a versatile artist who can rap and sing his heart out.

Micro TDH and Myke Towers send their exes packing with the most loving lyrics.

“El Tren” definitely goes down more of the románticas route. Micro TDH wrote the song with Myke Towers and Ovy on the Drums, who also produced it. Spanish guitar and reggaeton beats soundtrack Micro TDH and Towers’ sweet goodbye to their exes. Any chance for reconciliation has left with the last train out of town. Micro TDH and Towers come through with a dreamy kiss-off track.

Since working with Big Ligas, Micro TDH has released a string of hit singles. Towers recently dropped his new album Lyke Mike.

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Read: Venezuela’s Big Soto Breakout: Our 5 Favorite Songs on ‘The Good Trip’

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