If the flavour and texture of the fruit deserves comparison to pears, the whole plant most certainly earns the title 'prickly' - much care is needed in picking and preparing these fruits.

The whole plant (leaves, buds, stems and fruit) is covered with little patches from which emerge two different types of 'prickles' - the obvious, vicious-looking, toothpick-sized spines (which may be absent altogether, as they were on the plants I saw), and many smaller, innocent-looking hair-like spines called glochids

It's these smaller spines that will catch you unawares - with the sligtest of touch, they lodge in your skin and detach from the plant - they may be invisibly small, but they are barbed and often, any attempt to pick them out simply causes them to become more deeply and painfully embedded.

Wear stout, thornproof gloves to pick the fruit, detaching it from the plant with a sharp knife or scissors (if you pull, you may find that whole sections of the plant suddenly break free and spring towards unprotected areas of skin!).

Don't over-reach for fruits way up on top of the plant or nested inside it - those little spines will get you if you just brush against any part of it. Losing your balance and falling into the plant would be disastrously injurious and painful

Before attempting to peel or eat the fruits, brush them thoroughly under running water, again, wearing thick, impermeable gloves.