Mexico is known for lots of strong flavors and spices— but what about its sugary treats?
In this Mexican candy taste test, find out what the most popular candies are in Mexico, what they look like, and most importantly— what Mexican candy tastes like!
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As an Asian American adventurer who’s been paid to travel to all seven continents and over 60 countries, unique flavors from around the world give me life.
Related: How to Get Paid to Travel to Every Continent (Yes, Even Antarctica)
I’ve spent several months over the years on extended stays in Mexico’s Riviera Maya and the food does not disappoint— just take a look at some of the best restaurants in Playa del Carmen.
There’s really no better way to experience a different culture than diving right into the local eats, especially the sweets!
Although completely arbitrary, I’ve added on my own personal rating of the different candies, if anything for my own glutinous record of which ones to purchase again.
If you’re interested in trying some yourself, there are a number of great Mexican candy assortment bundles available that are perfect for tasting the popular treats and flavors.
Mexican Candy Flavors
The main flavor profiles consist of the following tastes, with many candies mixing and matching combinations of two or more:
- Chili
- Tamarind: A dried fruit that can range from sweet and tangy to sour and tart
- Chamoy: A Mexican condiment and sauce made with fruit like plums or apricots. It’s a unique blend of flavors, too: spicy, sweet, sour, and salty.
- Salt and Lemon
- Watermelon
- Mango
Lollipops
Miguelito Raqueta Menta
Rating: 3.5/10
First impression: Confused as to why it tastes like mint but is colored red.
Despite the packaging saying it was mint and cherry flavored, my eyes still convinced my brain that it was probably going to taste like a typical “red” candy flavor, like strawberry or cherry with a hint of mint.
Wrong.
It was very strongly minty for the first few minutes, then tasted a bit like cough syrup, and then after 10 minutes I had no idea what to make of the flavor.
Chipileta: Chamoy Flavor and Hot Candy Powder
Rating: 9/10
First impression: The perfect combination of sweet, spicy, and tangy.
The chamoy Chipileta was one of my favorites. The lollipop itself is sweet with hints of heat from the chili flavor.
While it’s quite small for a lollipop by American standards, I actually prefer this hard candy on a stick as it’s easy to eat and finish without feeling overloaded with sugar.
The only downside is that it’s a dipping lollipop, which means there’s grainy powder in the package.
It’s a bit messy but the blend of flavors definitely makes it worth a try.
Chipileta: Orange Flavor and Hot Candy Powder
Rating: 6/10
First impression: Not as great as the chamoy flavor.
The flavors itself was an interesting combination but I much preferred the hot chamoy over spiced orange.
Overall, however, I’m a fan of Chipiletas and would rather eat these over a whole lot of the other lollipops I tried.
Pika Slice: Watermelon and Chili
Rating: 1/10
First Impression: Unpleasantly sour.
I’m all for a good sour candy, but I wasn’t a fan of the Pika Slice lollipop.
The chili covering was oddly sour and there was no heat or spice in the flavor mix.
I thought maybe once I got past the sour outer coating that the core watermelon pop would help even the flavors out, but I had no such luck.
The watermelon center was just so-so and not enough to balance the strong, sour aftertaste from the chili covering.
Chapuceras Mango Flavored Tamarind Gummy Lollipop
Rating: 9/10
First Impression: Messy to eat, but great combination of textures and flavors.
The Chapuceras is another dipping lollipop, so be prepared to spill chili flakes everywhere.
However, it’s gummy pop, which makes it super easy to bite into and enjoy all the flavors at once.
The core is a delicious mango gummy covered by a tamarind-flavored outer gummy, all topped with the same sweet chili flakes included for dipping.
The mix of tamarind and mango together with a bit of heat was an excellent combination and probably one of my favorites.
I was also relieved that the gummy didn’t have that super artificial taste or rubbery texture like some low-quality gummy candies tend to have.
Corazon Acidita Gummy Pop
Rating: 2/10
First impression: Tastes like a bad Sour Patch Kids.
Speaking of artificial-tasting gummy candies, such was the case with the Corazon Gummy Pop.
While the heart-shaped pop makes for a super cute appearance, unfortunately, the waxy texture and medicinal-esque cherry flavoring just wasn’t for me.
Sandia Cubierta con Chile Gummy Pop
Rating: 1/10
First impression: No thanks.
Nothing about this lollipop was a positive for me.
I was excited at first as I’ve come to enjoy these gummy-style lollipops, but this one just tasted extremely sour with a very sharply flavored chili coating.
The gummy itself wasn’t great and unfortunately I could barely taste any watermelon, which was supposed to be the main flavor profile.
Rockaleta
Rating: 7/10
First impression: I have no idea what flavors I’m tasting but I like it.
The Rockaleta was recommended to me by a friend who said it was his favorite Mexican candy growing up.
What’s cool about this lollipop is that it has multiple layers and switches between sweet and spicy flavors and finishes with a piece of gum at the center.
I tried to figure out what flavors I was tasting in each layer, but I was never sure.
The layers went something like this:
- Red: Spicy (I think this was chamoy)
- Green: Sweet- Apple
- Orange-Red: Spicy
- Yellow- Gum
Lucas Panzón: Watermelon with Chamoy Liquid Candy
Rating: 6/10
First impression: Great concept but could be better with a little redesigning.
I was really excited for this one.
The Lucas Panzon pop is another combo candy, with a watermelon-flavored sucker at the top of the bottle and liquid chamoy inside.
The idea is that once the top of the lollipop is eaten, the chamoy can be squeezed out through the now exposed opening at the tip of the bottle.
However, I found the sauce difficult to get out due to the spout design and size.
I was able to squeeze the chamoy out onto a plate and dip the sucker into it, and flavor-wise it was delicious.
Sweet watermelon mixed with the sour and tangyness of chamoy is definitely one of my new favorite flavors, but I wish the candy was easier to enjoy together as designed.
Bubbaloo Xtreme: Blueberry
Rating: 1/10
First impression: Not at all what I was expecting.
This one threw me for a loop as I wasn’t expecting the very sharp and sour blueberry flavor. The aftertaste was so strong and unfortunately unenjoyable.
I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was, but something about the flavors just seemed off.
I thought about cutting it open just to try the gum but even the smell started giving me a headache so I had to toss this one out.
Lucas Muecas: Sour Green Apple
Rating: 7/10
First impression: A sweet and sour combination my American palette is familiar with.
Similar to a Ring Pop, the Lucas Muecas lollipop was easy to hold and perfectly shaped for effective dipping.
The apple flavor was as you’d expect with the outer coating already doused in the sour powder.
Unlike the other lollipops with powder dips, this one was mess-free and easy to eat as well as to save for later (a huge bonus in my book).
If you can’t finish the entire candy in one sitting, simply put the pop back into the container, give it a good shake to get the sour coating on, and enjoy it at another time (but hopefully not too much later!)
Overall, the flavors are very familiar for Americans– which, depending on what you’re looking for, can be either a pro or con.
If you’re trying to find unique candy flavors specific to Mexico that you can’t get anywhere else, this lollipop won’t do it.
But if you’re a little homesick from long-term travel and just need a taste of home, look no further than the Lucas Muecas lollipop.
Chili Powder Candy
Pavi Rrico
Rating: 6/10
First impression: It’s like eating straight sugar but better.
These chili powdered candies can be eaten alone, or together with fresh fruit. It’s a tasty blend of sweet and salty tamarind with a hint of heat.
I didn’t have any fruit to try it with, so I ate it like pop rocks and it was perfectly enjoyable.
I can only imagine that the combination of flavors would be even better together with some mangoes.
Miguelito Dulce en Polvo
Rating: 7/10
First impression: A beautiful medley of sweet, salty, and spicy.
The Miguelito powdered chili candy was slightly spicier than Pavi Rrico and had a sharper taste, which I preferred.
The kick from the heat balanced out the other flavors perfectly.
Again, I didn’t get a chance to try it with fruit, but I would eat this anytime even on its own.
Liquid Candy
Lucas Gusano Tamarindo
Rating: 1/10
First impression: Tamarind overload.
I’m not a huge fan of liquid candy to begin with and the Lucas Gusano candy in tamarind definitely didn’t help matters.
The tamarind flavor was so strong and tart, I’m not sure it could compliment anything as the flavor (and aftertaste) was so overpowering.
However, the candy does come in chamoy flavor, which in hindsight I may have enjoyed more.
Tropichidas Chamoy and Mango Pulp
Rating: 4/10
First impression: Where’s the mango flavor?
I love all things mango, and having a good experience thus far with mango-flavored candy in Mexico, I was excited to try the Tropichidas liquid candy in chamoy and mango.
While it did have a good tanginess and nice, spicy flavor, I wouldn’t have known it was supposed to taste a little like mango if it wasn’t written.
I will say that based on what the gel/sauce/condiment tasted like alone, I think it would work really well with fresh mangoes.
Hard Candy
Revolcaditas
Rating: 5/10
First impression: Strong chili kick without being super spicy.
Revolcaditas is a hard and sticky candy that’s super grainy on the outside from the chili covering.
The chili has a big kick of flavor, bringing a slight heat but mostly sourness.
Once the coating is gone, you’re left with a mango-flavored hard candy.
While I wasn’t a fan of the candy’s exterior, I liked the mango interior– that is, until it kept getting stuck to every tooth possible.
The candy never softened enough to chew and the stickiness continued to fight me until the very end.
Flavor-wise, I’d give this a 7; but due to the frustrating nature of the treat, it’s down to a 5.
Soft Candy
Bola Pulparindín
Rating: 5/10
First impression: Was not expecting a soft candy.
At first glance, I thought Bola Pulparindín was a hard candy.
It’s got a strong tamarind flavor with the inside being chewy and grainy.
I thought the tamarind flavoring was fine, but the level of spiciness wasn’t for me.
It’s not overpoweringly hot, but I could still feel the heat in the mouth and somehow even in my teeth and gums after the candy was long gone.
Tamborines Enchilados
Rating: 8/10
First impression: Tastes great but a little messy.
Tamborines Enchilados are a very small treat made from fine grains.
As soon as I opened it, the loosely balled granules fell apart so I had to eat it pretty much like the powdered candies.
However, the flavors were amazing: tart with a nice kick of chili that wasn’t too much or too little.
Tama Chew
Rating: 7/10
First impression: Very mild flavor.
If you’re worried about a candy being too sweet, too sour, or too spicy, you might like Tama Chew.
The flavoring is very subtle and as a small candy, it’s not intimidating to eat.
The semi-hard shell coating makes it easy to bite and chew into without falling apart or being at risk of melting like many other soft candies.
Pulparindo WHHA!: Salt and Chili
Rating: 5/10
First impression: Another sticky and chewy candy.
The texture of these Pulparindo candies is similar to taffy.
It is mildly sticky on the teeth, and extra sticky (and messy) as you try to unwrap it.
Your fingers are bound to get a sugary paste on them just opening the candy.
As for the taste itself, the one I tried had a tangy and light tamarind flavor with very subtle hints of chili.
Pulparin Dots Extra Picante
Rating: 7/10
First impression: Definitely spicy.
Pulparin Dots come in a soft coated shell with grainy pulp inside.
It has a great balance of salt and tamarind flavors while delivering the “extra spicy.”
Although it’s not unbearable, this candy was slightly spicier than the others I tried.
The heat also lingered after eating the candy, but it wasn’t the bad kind of aftertaste.
Miscellaneous
Pica Up: Tamarind with Chili
Rating: 4/10
First impression: Tastes like a candied plum.
The tamarind flavor was good, but I wish the chili was stronger as I could barely taste it.
I didn’t know there were hard seeds inside (or at least I think that’s what they were?) and it threw me for a loop.
I was partly confused but mostly found it somewhat troublesome to eat.
Lucas Bomvaso: Lemon
Rating: 2/10
First impression: Everything is sticky.
The Lucas Bomvaso was an interesting combination of flavors and unique type of candy…medium?
Inside the little capsule is sticky, melted taffy-like tamarind candy that you eat with the little spoon attached on the inside of the cap.
The yellow ball included is bubble gum with a very slight lemon flavor.
Overall, the mix of tamarind and spice candy with lemony gum wasn’t for me.
Skwinkles Salsagheti
Rating: 3/10
First impression: The flavors are great, but would be better with different candy.
The Skwinkles Salsagheti comes with spaghetti-like strings of apple-flavored gummy candy.
The texture of the gummy strings was not the greatest, but the flavoring was fine.
The package comes with a packet of yellow sauce, which was both sweet and sour and complimented the apple candy well.
I have no idea what the yellow liquid candy was, but if combined with maybe an apple-flavored hard candy or lollipop, I’d definitely get a few of those.
Gomita Malvabón: Strawberry and Chocolate
Rating: 2/10
First impression: It has the weird artificial gummy texture and flavor.
I’ve yet to find a chocolate-covered gummy I like in any country.
The Gomita Malvabón didn’t have much of any strawberry flavoring, it just tasted like a generic fruity flavor.
However, the chocolate to gummy ratio was what I’d like in the perfect chocolate-covered gummy candy.
Obleas
Rating: 9/10
First impression: It looks like a stroopwafel!
Obleas are a traditional Mexican wafer candy made with caramelized goat’s milk (cajeta).
They’re usually found in small, pocket-friendly sizes, but extra-large ones are also available.
The creamy caramel sandwiched between sugar-topped wafers make this the perfect sweet snack to enjoy anywhere.
Although a bit sticky, the rich flavors make it all worth it.
De La Rosa Mazapan
Rating: 10/10
First impression: Perfection.
Mazapan is a rich and creamy peanut candy that melts in your mouth.
They’re by far my favorite Mexican candy and possibly one of my favorite candies in general.
Although a bit crumbly, this nutty treat hits all the right notes: great texture, beautiful flavors, and comes in a variety of sizes.
If you’re a fan of Reese’s, you’ll love the chocolate covered marzipan candies.
They’re great alone, but even better frozen or eaten together with ice cream!
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