Tungi Spirit is the name given to a distilled product made in
Saint Helena
Saint Helena () is a British overseas territory located in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote volcanic tropical island west of the coast of south-western Africa, and east of Rio de Janeiro in South America. It is one of three constitu ...
from the fruit of the prickly or cactus pear (''
Opuntia ficus-indica
''Opuntia ficus-indica'', the Indian fig opuntia, fig opuntia, or prickly pear, is a species of cactus that has long been a domesticated crop plant grown in agricultural economies throughout arid and semiarid parts of the world. ''O. ficus-indica ...
'').
Terminology
Tungi is the local Saint Helenian name for the prickly or cactus pear.
Usage
Three principal varieties of tungi grow on
Saint Helena
Saint Helena () is a British overseas territory located in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote volcanic tropical island west of the coast of south-western Africa, and east of Rio de Janeiro in South America. It is one of three constitu ...
, but only two are used in the production of Tungi spirit. These are both examples of the largest fruit grown: the "English" (or yellow) fruit and the "Madeira" (or large red) fruit. These are cultivars of ''Opuntia ficus indica''. The small "spiny red" tungi fruits (''O. elatior'') are not normally used for
distillation
Distillation, or classical distillation, is the process of separation process, separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation, usually inside an apparatus known as a still. Dry distilla ...
, despite remaining in season for almost eight months of the year. By comparison with the large varieties, their juice content is low.
External links
St Helena Tungi Distillery website
Distilled drinks
Economy of Saint Helena
Saint Helenian culture
Saint Helenian cuisine
{{SaintHelena-stub