Do people eat cholla cactus

Yes, people specifically eat the flower bud in the spring. How they are eaten depends on the species. All cholla buds need to have the spines removed in order to eat them. This is easiest to do by burning them off. Buds will also need to be cooked until tender and then have the skin peeled off. Boiling is the best method for cooking most species as it removes oxalic acid, making it more edible. The cooked buds can then be served like artichokes or other vegetables.