I have realized that I am horrible at updating this thing on a regular basis, but now that hot weather is coming, it should be easier to post because I’ll be having more ice cream on a regular basis. I’ve already made plans to go with Julian to Freddo next Monday so we can eat quarter kilos and take advantage of their two-for-one special. Meanwhile, for details of the Persicco ice cream that Christine and I shared, see here.
This post is about Mexican popsicles, which are called paletas. I recently spent a week in Monterrey, Mexico, where I ate more paletas than I can count, but not enough that I couldn’t have more. One of the best places is La Michoacana, which means from the the state of Michoacan. Ironically enough, the owner is from Veracruz. Either way, the paletas were delicious -- fresh, brightly coloured, with sticky juice that drips down your hand. They came in almost every flavour imaginable, both water-based and cream-based – watermelon, melon, pineapple, mango, chocolate, hazelnut, pistachio, lime, strawberry, kiwi, guava, and I can’t remember the rest. Some of them still had seeds.
There are two paletas worth mentioning. The first is paleta de chamoy. Based on an informal survey of Mexicans that I know, chamoy is either a species of apricot or a tamarind-pulp sauce poured over apricots. Either way, it’s quite salty. I’ve never seen it fresh so I’m not even sure if it’s a fruit, vegetable, plant, or something else entirely. I had a chamoy-flavoured paleta from Helados Sultana and was not impressed. It was much saltier than I remembered, and I think it had been dipped in chile flakes or chile sauce (as are many things Mexican). The saltiness made me cringe; I couldn’t finish it. I ended up throwing it out (wasteful, wasteful, I know) and buying a new one (cajeta/caramel, milk base, much sweeter).
The other paleta is paleta de jamaica. Jamaica (pronounced ha-MAI-ca) is hibiscus flower. It’s a dark purple colour and is a little bitter and a little salty, but it makes for a delicious and refreshing paleta on a sticky day. Unfortunately, it must not have been jamaica season because I couldn’t find a paleta de jamaica anywhere. The disappointment continues.
Here is a picture of us eating paletas from La Michoacana. I’m eating a watermelon paleta, and he’s eating a mango paleta.
In other food news, our vegetarian dinner for Argentines was a success. Not surprisingly, they expected meat, and were disappointed when we told them that there would be none. (They asked several times with these confused expressions on their faces, almost like they thought we were playing a mean practical joke on them.) We served DIY tortillas. It was a hit, even if their idea of Mexican food was lettuce and sour cream in a flour tortilla.
This post is about Mexican popsicles, which are called paletas. I recently spent a week in Monterrey, Mexico, where I ate more paletas than I can count, but not enough that I couldn’t have more. One of the best places is La Michoacana, which means from the the state of Michoacan. Ironically enough, the owner is from Veracruz. Either way, the paletas were delicious -- fresh, brightly coloured, with sticky juice that drips down your hand. They came in almost every flavour imaginable, both water-based and cream-based – watermelon, melon, pineapple, mango, chocolate, hazelnut, pistachio, lime, strawberry, kiwi, guava, and I can’t remember the rest. Some of them still had seeds.
There are two paletas worth mentioning. The first is paleta de chamoy. Based on an informal survey of Mexicans that I know, chamoy is either a species of apricot or a tamarind-pulp sauce poured over apricots. Either way, it’s quite salty. I’ve never seen it fresh so I’m not even sure if it’s a fruit, vegetable, plant, or something else entirely. I had a chamoy-flavoured paleta from Helados Sultana and was not impressed. It was much saltier than I remembered, and I think it had been dipped in chile flakes or chile sauce (as are many things Mexican). The saltiness made me cringe; I couldn’t finish it. I ended up throwing it out (wasteful, wasteful, I know) and buying a new one (cajeta/caramel, milk base, much sweeter).
The other paleta is paleta de jamaica. Jamaica (pronounced ha-MAI-ca) is hibiscus flower. It’s a dark purple colour and is a little bitter and a little salty, but it makes for a delicious and refreshing paleta on a sticky day. Unfortunately, it must not have been jamaica season because I couldn’t find a paleta de jamaica anywhere. The disappointment continues.
Here is a picture of us eating paletas from La Michoacana. I’m eating a watermelon paleta, and he’s eating a mango paleta.
In other food news, our vegetarian dinner for Argentines was a success. Not surprisingly, they expected meat, and were disappointed when we told them that there would be none. (They asked several times with these confused expressions on their faces, almost like they thought we were playing a mean practical joke on them.) We served DIY tortillas. It was a hit, even if their idea of Mexican food was lettuce and sour cream in a flour tortilla.
ps: I know the font here is weird but I don't know how to change it. Sorry.
