Exploring the Unique & Tangy Flavors of Mexican Fruit Candy

The Sweet Taste of Mexico: Exploring Mexican Fruit Candy

The bright colors and tantalizing flavors of Mexican candy are loved by many. While American candy often relies heavily on chocolate, Mexican candy utilizes a variety of unique and natural ingredients to create a bold, fruity taste. One of the standout ingredients in many Mexican candies is fruit - fresh, sweet, and ripe fruit that adds NATURAL FLAVOR and acidity. Let's explore some of the most iconic Mexican fruit candies and see what makes them so special.

Chamoy - A Sweet, Salty, and Spicy Delight

Chamoy is a popular Mexican condiment and candy made from pickled fruit, chili powder, and spices. It has a unique sweet, salty, and spicy flavor that adds excitement to fruit and candy. Chamoy is often made from apricot, plum, mango or guava. The fruit is pickled with spices and seasoning like garlic, oregano, cinnamon, and cloves. This gives chamoy its signature tangy taste. Chile peppers are then added to give it some heat. The result is a condiment that perfectly balances sweet and spicy.

Chamoy is often enjoyed on its own as a candy. Fruit pieces like mango, pineapple, cucumber or jicama are dipped into or drizzled with chamoy sauce. The salty, sour and spicy chamoy complements the sweet tropical fruit flavors. Chamoy’s eye-catching magenta color also makes any fruit look festive and fun. It is a popular item at Mexican street food carts, fairs, and fiestas.

Lucas - Mexico's Favorite Tamarind Candy

Lucas is a beloved Mexican candy brand that makes a variety of tamarind flavored treats. Tamarind is a pod-like fruit indigenous to Mexico that has a sweet, sour and tangy taste. Lucas candies are made by boiling tamarind pulp with sugar and other spices to make a sticky, chewy tamarind paste. This tamarind paste is the staple ingredient for all Lucas candies.

The most popular item is Lucas Pelon, a tamarind pulp candy coated in chili powder and salt. The sweet tamarind interior contrasts with the salty exterior for a mouthwatering flavor and texture combo. Lucas also makes tamarind hard candies, gummies, gelatin desserts and sodas. No matter what form it comes in, the taste of tamarind is unmistakable. The ingredients are simple but the tantalizing tanginess of tamarind shines through.

Tamarindo - Tamarind Candy With a Kick

Tamarindo candy is another beloved Mexican treat that showcases the tamarind fruit. Unlike the milder Lucas brand, Tamarindo candy offers an extra spicy kick of chili pepper. These semi-soft candies have a gummy tamarind center that is coated with chili powder and salt. The combination gives you the sweet and sour tamarind flavors upfront, followed by the intense heat of chili pepper spice. Tamarindo candies come individually wrapped in bright packaging, making them an iconic sight in Mexican corner stores and markets.

Tamarindo can be enjoyed as is for a real spice rush, or in fruit preparations to complement the flavors. A popular street food is to pour the candies out of the wrapper and into a cup with lime juice, chamoy and fresh fruit. The candy melts into the cup to create a sweet, salty and spicy mixture perfect for dipping fruit like mango slices into. The kick of Tamarindo candy enhances the sweet tropical flavors.

Pulparindo - A Blend of Tamarind, Milk and Chili

Pulparindo puts yet another spin on tamarind candy. This chewy bar candy has a sticky tamarind pulp center, like Lucas and Tamarindo. But it covers the tamarind core in a layer of sweet milk candy and chili powder. The result is a flavor explosion - the sweet milkiness helps balance the tangy tamarind, while the chili powder adds a fiery kick. Pulparindos often come with a sprinkle of large salt crystals on top, heightening the flavor contrasts even more.

Part of Pulparindo’s appeal is its unique texture. It starts off chewy and gummy thanks to the tamarind, then transitions to a smooth, creamy melt from the milk candy layer. This makes Pulparindo an exciting experience for the tastebuds. The chili and salt toppings add crunch and texture. For candy lovers, Pulparindo delivers on all fronts - taste, texture, and visual appeal.

Mangonadas - Mango Chili Popsicles

Mangonadas take fresh mango flavor and combine it with chamoy sauce to make a popular Mexican popsicle treat. Ripe mangoes are blended into a smoothie and poured into popsicle molds. Chamoy sauce is then swirled in to add a burst of salty, spicy and sour flavor. Sometimes chamoy is just drizzled on top instead to create a marbling effect. Other toppings like chili powder, tamarind sauce, or Tajín chili-lime seasoning are also added to amp up the spice level.

The result is a popsicle with many flavor dimensions - the creaminess of mango, the tanginess of tamarind and chamoy, and the heat of chili peppers. The alternating bites of fruity mango and sour/spicy chamoy are what make mangonadas so addictive. The palate tingles from the sweet and spicy sensations. Mangonadas are the perfect cool and spicy snack for a hot Mexican afternoon.

Mexican Fruit Candy for All

Mexican fruit candy makes the most of fresh, seasonal fruit from around the country. Tamarind, mango, cucumber, pineapple and more are featured in authentic candies and snacks. Beyond fruit, unique seasonings like chamoy sauce, chili powder, and tajín add salty, spicy and tangy flavors. The natural sweetness of fruit combines with these bold flavors for a candy experience like no other. Whether you go for a simple fruit chamoy snack or a layered confection like Pulparindo, Mexican fruit candy offers complexity and excitement for all.

FAQs

What is chamoy?

Chamoy is a Mexican condiment made from pickled fruit, chili powder, and spices. It has a sweet, tangy, salty, and spicy flavor.

What fruit flavors are common in Mexican candy?

Some of the most popular Mexican candy fruit flavors are tamarind, mango, pineapple, cucumber, strawberry, guava, lime, and coconut.

Are Mexican fruit candies spicy?

Many Mexican fruit candies do contain spices like chili powder to give them some heat. But there are also mild options without spice, like the Lucas brand tamarind candies.

Where can I buy Mexican fruit candy?

Mexican fruit candies can be found online and in specialty grocery stores. Large supermarket chains with international food aisles may also carry some Mexican candy brands.