Barberry figs is an alternative term for prickly pears, the paddle-shaped fruits of Opuntia cacti native to the Americas. Sweet, juicy, and studded with tiny hard seeds, they are eaten fresh or made into juices, jams, syrups, and candies across Mexico, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East, where they are also known as tunas or sabra fruit. Careful handling is needed to remove their nearly invisible glochid spines before eating, usually by singeing or brushing under running water. Nutritionally they offer fibre, vitamin C, and betalain pigments, and their drought tolerance makes them a resilient crop for arid food systems.