If you've ever been tempted by the unfamiliar snacks at the local bodega, but unsure about what you're getting yourself into, check out this helpful photo guide to Mexican sweets and snacks from Saveur. Identifying snacks like tart tamarind candies and sour-spicy potato chips, it has me itching to try some new treats.
Many Mexican candies balance sweetness with savory and spicy flavors, such as Vero Mango, a fruity lollipop covered with a salty chile paste coating. Creamy cows' or goats' milk caramel shows up sandwiched between wheat wafers in obleas and rolled with chopped pecans in Glorias candies.
Striped coconut cookies, lime- and chile-spiked chips and tamarind fruit leather bars are a few other snacks that use some of my favorite flavors, reminding me that I need to be a little more adventurous the next time I pop into the corner store.
See the full photo & guide: Mexican Snack Foods at Saveur
Do you have any favorite Mexican sweets or snacks?
Related: Frida Kahlo's Favorite Treat: Coconut-Stuffed Limes
(Image: Todd Coleman/Saveur)
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I so love Mexican snack foods! Don't forget the puffed amaranth - which I've not found in this country. YUM.
Wow! Sure beat the every day suckers or Oreo cookies, lol!
Pulparindo!
My favorites are de la Rosa marzipan (pictured above) and goat-milk caramels - yum!
I am hugely obsessed with Vero dulces. The Elote and the Mango are amazing. Salty, sour, spicy and sweet in one lollipop! Crazy good!!
Puffed (popped) amaranth is available in Arizona stores. You can order it from the non-profit Native Seeds/Search: http://shop.nativeseeds.org/collections/grains-and-meals/products/nwa002
I love the tamarind candies and tamarind pulp. I also sprinkle tajin on fruit (funny...the bottle says "not a candy") or some chamoy.
New-found candy obsession is the Pelon Pelo Rico Peloneta (...made by Hershey's....). It's a three-layer lollipop with a chewy chamoy paste on the outside, almost like taffy, watermelon hard candy in the middle, and spicy-salty chili powder on the inside. They also have a tamarind/mango version. It's insane.
De la Rosa and the chile mango suckers have been favorites of mine since I was a kid, as have the coconut confections and anything cajeta. The article glaringly left out one of my other favorite treats, candied squash. Mmm...I love me some sugar soaked squash/pumpkin.