(Cochineal/Cochinilla) From Nahuatl “nochtli” (the opuntia/nopal cactus) and “eztli” (blood) Another product introduced to the world courtesy of the nopal is the bright red colourant known as cochineal. Cochineal is produced from the dried bodies of a female insect of the dactylopius genus which is a parasitic scale insect that lives off the nopal. This insect is farmed and its cultivation potentially dates to around 1000AD … Continue reading Nocheztli : The Cochineal Beetle