You might have asked yourself what the origin of Mexican candy is or maybe not, either way I’m going to tell you, but first let me tell you some types of Mexican candies and a little bit of their history.

Mazapanes were made from a guy in 1942 named Jesus Michel Gonzalez. His family began making candies in their home in Guadalajara, Mexico and that’s when the company de la Rosa was born. Today Mazapanes are one of the most well known Mexican candies, according to Courtney in the Middle Seat, who goes around to different countries to try different snacks and and foods and reviews the history of the snack or food she’s trying. 

Another well known Mexican candy are the Lucas candies. They were first made in 1986 when two brothers named Hugo and Alejandro Martinez started manufacturing a candy that was made from the pulp of the tamarind fruit and it was called “Rico Pelo Loco.” These candies became such a big hit in Mexico that the Martinez brothers found themselves making over 200,000 portions each month, which led them to create a company called Alitec. There have been many variations of the Lucas candies ever since then.

Some people add Tajin to many things like fruit, drinks, and candies. Tajín was created by Hoaracio Fernández’s grandmother as a sauce. Fernández wanted to recreate the sauce into a powder so he could market it, and was determined to make a process to dehydrate the chilies and limes. When he visited the pre-Columbian framing site El Tajín, Fernández chose to name his product after it. Tajín came into the U.S. market in 1993, according to Tajin’s official history (archived via Wikipedia).  

In order to know the origins of Mexican candy, we also need to know what the first Mexican candy was made of. The first Mexican candy was made from ground corn, honey and fruit and it was called “Tzoalli.” It was a luxury item and was used as offerings to the gods. Some candies were also made out of nuts and many natural ingredients. When other ingredients like chili and sugar were discovered it led to making new candies like the ones we know today. The “Tzoalli” candy soon became nonexistent. 

Gallery • 4 Photos

Mexico Desconocido

A box of de la Rosa Mazapanes.