Cholla buds are the unopened flower buds of the cholla cactus, harvested in April by the Tohono O'odham and prepared like artichoke hearts in salads and stews.
Tohono O'odham cholla bud harvest is a 4,000-year tradition in the Sonoran Desert around Tucson, peaking in April just before the cactus flowers open. The buds are harvested with long tools, dethorned by rolling between stones, then sun-dried. They taste like artichoke hearts and are high in calcium. Mission Garden runs annual cholla bud harvests demonstrating the O'odham method, and Native Seeds/SEARCH on Campbell Avenue sells dried cholla buds by the package.
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