The prickly pear is a shrub species of the Opuntia genus, of the Cactaceae family. Commonly known as nopal, higuera (de pala), palera, penca, prickly pear or prickly pear, it is native to the American continent and was introduced to Europe by the Spanish to take advantage of the unproductive soils in the south of the Iberian Peninsula.

The prickly pear or prickly pear, as they are known in Malaga, is the fruit of the prickly pear and is usually harvested in summer, normally during the month of August, making it a summer fruit.