Halloween is near, you know what that means?! Candies!
Well yes, there are other things like costumes, and parties, or horror houses, but let just talk about the sweets. I want to introduce you to a new type of candies, Mexican candies. And I'm not talking about the ones that YouTubers always show in their videos, because of that type of references most people think that Mexico is only about spicy food, but we actually have really sweet treats.
Here are my top seven, and I added a sweetness scale, where one star (*) is the less sweet and five the sweetest.
1. Borrachitos *
"Borracho" describes a drunken person, and "borrachitos" is the same thing but in diminutive (Mexicans can put diminutives in almost every word!). They are really soft but they are not too chewy. The common flavors are lemon, strawberry, rompope, or pineapple. They are made with flour, sugar, and the special ingredient... rum! The liquor makes a nice contrast with the sugar, so if you get sick of the sweets easily this candy is for you.
2. Cocadas * *
Who likes coconut?! Well this candy is sweet but is not too cloying. It is just made with coconut and natural caramel, but the best part is the top of it because you can taste the burned caramel and it's kind of crunchy.
3. Mueganos * * * *
This is one of my favorite candies! But I should tell you that it's too messy to eat it. Even so you should try it, if you like "churros" you will like this one. It's made with flour, "piloncillo" (which is where the brown sugar comes from), and honey. It's very very crunchy, and delicious!
4. Ate * * *
My family loves this one, we always eat it with grapes and cheese. They can be very sweet after awhile of eating them, that's why we make an equilibrium with the grapes and the cheese. This candy or dessert is very soft and sticky. The base is made with quince and then it's mixed with other fruits/flavors like guava (my favorite), apple, pear, pumpkin, and others.
5. Jamoncillo * * * * *
You can't eat this one like any normal candy. You have two options: you eat it with a glass of water, or you give it small bites from time to time. It's made with milk and sugar, and sometimes they put it some nutmegs on the top. From the outside it looks hard, but when you put it in your mouth you discover a great softness.
6. Camote Poblano * * *
If you ever go to Puebla you have to try these ones, and buy many boxes as you can. They can be addictive! So it's basically a candy made of sweet potato with some flavors, like pineapple, orange, or strawberry. One after a meal is a decent dessert. They are soft but you can taste some traces of the sweet potato.
7. Alegrías *
When you eat "Alegrías" you are eating a bite of "happiness." These bars are perfect for a lunch time. They are made with amaranth and honey. But there are other options with raisins, peanuts, nuts, pumpkin seeds, and even chocolate! They are hard, but then the amaranth gets soft in you mouth, plus the seeds and other ingredients give it a nice touch. I can eat them all day.
As you can see Mexico is not only spicy food, we have all kind of flavors!
Now give yourself to experience a Mexican treat.
