Etna Prickly Pear
Among fruit and vegetable products, only Etna Prickly Pear has already obtained the PDO label. It involves the territories of Belpasso, Adrano, Biancavilla, Ragalna, S. Maria di Licodia. The different cultivars of Opuntia ficus Indica have been named after the color of the pulp and peel. In order to obtain the PDO label, the productions must consist of yellow, red, and white cultivars for the 95%, while the presence of other ecotypes must not go beyond the 5%.
The name of the fruits depend on their maturation period: Agostani are obtained from the first blooming and harvested from the second decade of August, Scozzolati or Bastardoni are obtained from the second blooming and harvested from the second decade of September, until December. The latter are the most characteristic local fruits and the most appreciated for their organoleptic features.
