"Pulparindo" news and stories

Like many gourmands with a sweet tooth I'm strangely drawn toward candies that mix salt and sugar. I assume the reason that some crave what at first seems like an odd combination is because both components satisfy primal nutritional urges that are hardwired into our brains.

When it comes to candy bars, the pinnacle of salty-sweet perfection is Payday. I'm not sure why, but as a kid, I never tried one. Looking back it seems especially strange, since I loved eating Lawry's seasoned salt out of hand. These days Payday's amalgam of salty peanuts mashed together with caramel is just the thing to satisfiy my sweet and savory teeth. In the same vein, though perhaps a bit more intense, is Pulparindo. This chewy Mexican confection is not for everyone, but it hits my palate in all the right places, combining sour tamarind with sugar and chile pepper.

But when I'm feeling especially decadent and craving something salty and sweet I forgo candy bars. Instead, I whip up some chocolate bruschetta. Simply cut small pieces of bread as you would for bruschetta; top each with a small chunk of good dark chocolate; and toast until the chocolate melts, but hasn't lost its shape. Take them out, and finish each with a sprinkle of fleur de sel. In case anyone's wondering, I've yet to try chocolate-covered potato chips, but they're on my short list.

I'm a huge fan of spicy food and also a sucker for strange snacks and candies. So naturally, when I saw Chili Mili Jellies at an Indian grocery I had to have them. My curiosity was further incited since I'd never seen any packaged Indian candies.

The purple bag contains two kinds of gummy chili peppers, one for each of the goofy pepper characters. Maybe one is supposed to be Chili and the other Mili.

Either way they both taste the same, sweet sour and just slightly spicy. They bring to mind Pulparindo, a Mexican candy made from salted tamarind pulp and chili pepper. Did I forget to mention they're also fortified with vitamins A and C?