Picafresas: Mexican Spicy Fruit Gummies

Combining the sweetness of strawberries with the spiciness of guajillo chili powder, these treats are a perfect example of the unique Mexican candy culture.

What sweets are there in Mexico?

Mexico is known for a variety of unique and flavorful sweets. Here are some of the most popular:

1. Dulces Enchilados : These are sweets covered in chamoy sauce and tajin seasoning. Chamoy is a spicy, sweet and sour sauce made from pickled fruit. Tajin is made from chili, lime and salt and gives the sweets a distinctive spiciness and citrus note.
2. Tamarindo Candy : Made from tamarind, this candy is often coated in sugar and has an intense sweet and sour flavor. Tamarind candy is available in various forms such as candies, sticks, and even as a paste.
3. Mazapán de Cacahuate : A type of peanut marzipan that is soft and crumbly. It is made mainly of ground peanuts and sugar and is a popular snack throughout Mexico.
4. Pelon Pelo Rico : A sweet and sour tamarind candy that is squeezed through a special bottle, creating hair-like strands. This candy is especially popular with children.
5. Alegrías : Made from amaranth seeds and honey, this sweet is a traditional Mexican snack. It is both nutritious and delicious and is often enhanced with raisins or nuts.

What is in fruit gums?

Fruit gums are made from a variety of ingredients that together create the characteristic consistency and taste of this candy. The main ingredients are usually:

1. Sugar : The basis of many fruit gums is sugar, which provides the sweetness.
2. Glucose syrup : This helps to make the consistency soft and chewable and prevents the sugar from crystallizing.
3. Gelatin : Often used as a thickener, it gives fruit gums their rubbery texture.
4. Fruit juices and fruit purees : They provide the taste and color.
5. Acidifier : Citric acid or lactic acid is added to give a sour taste.
6. Colors and flavors : Natural or artificial colors and flavors are added to increase visual and taste variety.

The recipe I present to you today consists of hibiscus flowers, strawberries, guajillo chili powder, vegan gelatin and agave syrup.

Do fruit gums contain gelatin?

Many fruit gums contain gelatin, an animal product that is made from the collagen of bones and skin. Gelatin gives fruit gums their characteristic rubbery consistency. But since I don't want to consume animal products, there are also plant-based gelling agents.

Many manufacturers now offer vegan versions that are made without gelatine and use vegetable gelling agents instead.