| Keyword |
Description |
| Acitrón |
A traditional Mexican crystallized sweet made from the barrel cactus Ferocactus histrix |
| Ecosystem |
A community of living organisms and their physical environment, interacting as a system |
| Ate |
A sweet, thick fruit paste made from the pulp of fruits like quince, guava, or peach cooked with sugar, usually eaten as a dessert or with cheese |
For centuries, acitrón — a translucent yellow crystallized sweet — has been an important ingredient in Mexican dishes like Rosca de Reyes and chiles en nogada. However, this candy comes from the biznaga barril de acitrón, a barrel cactus that grows very slowly and is now in danger of extinction because people have harvested it too much. Since 2005 this cactus has been officially listed as a protected species in Mexico, which means cutting it to make acitrón is illegal. Even though a piece of this sweet may be cheap in the market, it actually represents a plant that took decades or even centuries to grow.
Mexico has one of the greatest diversities of cacti in the world, and many species are threatened because collectors remove plants from their natural habitats. In the case of the barrel cactus, its slow growth makes it impossible to keep up with the demand of the food industry and traditional recipes. When adult plants are removed, only young cacti remain, and these juvenile populations cannot regenerate the ecosystem by themselves. This damage affects not only the cactus but also the arid and semi‑arid ecosystems where it plays an important role.
In 2015, scientist María del Rocío Azcárraga from UNAM started working on a technique to speed up the germination of the barrel cactus. Thanks to this method, the botanical garden at FES Cuautitlán now has a bank of more than 1,500 specimens, some already eight years old. To be safely reintroduced into the wild, the cacti must grow to about 20 centimeters so their spines can protect them from predators, a process that will take almost another decade. Her technique is designed to be accessible and cheap so that it can be used to help other endangered cactus species in the future.
While scientists work to restore these cacti, people are asked not to buy Roscas de Reyes that contain acitrón, since its sale is banned by law in Mexico. Instead, bakers and consumers can choose alternatives like ate (fruit paste) or crystallized fruits such as pineapple and cherries that do not harm endangered plants. This change in daily habits shows how traditions can adapt in order to protect biodiversity. By skipping acitrón, society helps give the barrel cactus a real chance to recover and eventually return in a sustainable way to Mexican kitchens.
Bridging words
These words sound similar in English and Spanish: Why not practice them now?
| English |
Spanish |
| Crystallized |
Cristalizado |
| Germination |
Germinación |
| Alternatives |
Alternativas |
Time to discuss
- Should traditions change when they harm the environment?
- Would you stop eating a favorite food to protect an endangered species?
- Who is more responsible for protecting nature: the government or regular people?
Let's write
Answer the following questions in one paragraph:
- Describe a tradition you know that might need to change to protect the environment.
- Explain why protecting one plant species can be important for an entire ecosystem.
