Mexico is known for the discovery of chocolate, but ask most kids here if they would rather have a chocolate bar or a mango sucker covered with spicy chili sauce, and most would chose the sucker!
The variety of Mexican candy is just about as diverse as Mexican food - sweet, spicy, salty and everything in between.
Tamarind is a tropical fruit used in many different candies here. It can be as simple as a plastic spoon covered with the pulp and sprinkled with chili, to a small container filled with sweetened tamarind that you push through small holes at the top to form spaghetti-like strands of candy.
I love the large, round disks of hardened toffee with peanuts inside (palanquetas). Another favorite is the confectioned peanut powder that is easily recognized by the rose on the wrapper. Called Mazapan, it melts in your mouth!
Dulce de leche, which translates to “sweet milk,” is an equivalent to caramel and is liked by all. It’s most commonly found in suckers, but it’s also used as a topping for ice cream or made into one of the best cakes around.
You can find these treats in any of the little stores around town, or visit one of the larger stores dedicated to Mexican candies for a larger variety.
Don’t forget about the chicle – you can buy this gum from kids that walk on the beach or around the restaurants at night.
Be adventurous and enjoy a Mexican sweet to remember!
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