Alegría: what the amaranth sweet is and how it's made

What is it?

Alegría is one of the oldest and most deeply distinctive sweets of Mexico, a crunchy bar made with popped amaranth (toasted seeds that puff up like tiny popcorn) and a piloncillo or honey caramel that binds them. It has a light, airy texture, a pale yellow colour, a sweet flavour with notes of toasted nut from the amaranth and molasses from the piloncillo. Its name, 'alegría' (joy), evokes the happiness associated with eating this sacred food. It has been made since pre-Hispanic times with a recipe practically identical to the modern one; the ancient Mexica regarded it as a ritual and power food, associated with amaranth (huauhtli in Nahuatl), one of the four sacred crops along with maize, beans and chia. Tulyehualco, a village of Xochimilco in southern Mexico City, is considered the capital of alegría: each year it holds the Fair of the Alegría and the Olive, one of the most important confectionery festivities in Mexico.

Origin and history

Alegría is one of the sweets with the longest documented history in Mexico. Amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus and A. cruentus) was cultivated by the ancient Mexicans for at least five thousand years. Sahagún, in the sixteenth-century Florentine Codex, records huauhtli as one of the four sacred crops, offered to the gods and consumed in drinks, ritual breads and sweets. The 'zoales', human and god figures made with amaranth dough, maguey honey and human or sacrificial-animal blood, were eaten at Nahua festivities. The Spanish conquerors banned the cultivation of amaranth at the start of the colonial period because of its association with rituals considered 'idolatrous'; the plant was marginalised for centuries. Tulyehualco preserved the tradition clandestinely, adapting the recipe to a simpler version (without dough, only popped seeds and piloncillo caramel). Larousse Cocina identifies alegría as one of the oldest and most emblematic traditional sweets of the Mexican repertoire. The recovery of amaranth cultivation during the twentieth century, driven by international bodies that identified it as a 'grain of the future' for its exceptional nutritional profile, has restored alegría's prominence as a symbol of Mexican cultural recovery.

Characteristic ingredients

Popped amaranth (seeds toasted on a comal until they puff up like mini-popcorn) is the essential ingredient; organic Mexican amaranth of native varieties is preferred. Grated piloncillo is the traditional sweetener, although some modern variants use bee honey or agave honey. Some recipes add butter for greater shine and lime juice to control crystallisation. The rich variants incorporate chopped walnuts, raisins, peanuts, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds or sesame, combined with the amaranth. The classic preparation involves making a caramel by cooking the piloncillo with a little water over a medium heat to the hard-ball stage (130-140 degrees Celsius); it is removed from the heat, the popped amaranth is added, mixing quickly to coat all the seeds with the caramel, and it is poured onto a greased surface or one lined with wax paper. It is flattened with a damp rolling pin to obtain a uniform thickness of one to two centimetres and rectangles are cut before it solidifies completely. Some Tulyehualco traditions make round alegrías (like wafers) instead of rectangular ones. The usual proportion is three hundred grams of popped amaranth per three hundred grams of piloncillo. Alegrías are sold in individual rectangular or round pieces, generally wrapped in clear cellophane that shows the characteristic airy texture.

Cultural significance

Alegría is one of the most deeply symbolic sweets of the Mexican gastronomic heritage. Traditional Mexican cuisine, UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2010, identifies amaranth and its derivatives among the sacred pre-Hispanic foods that make up the country's food cultural heritage. Tulyehualco, a village of Xochimilco in southern Mexico City, is the undisputed capital of Mexican alegría: each February it holds the Fair of the Alegría and the Olive (the olive trees also reached the region during the colonial period), where hundreds of artisanal producers exhibit regional variants and take part in competitions. The Government of Mexico, through Sader, has promoted amaranth cultivation as a food-security crop thanks to its exceptional nutritional profile: it provides complete proteins (with all the essential amino acids), fibre, calcium, iron, magnesium and antioxidants. The FAO has identified amaranth as one of the 'grains of the future' capable of combating hunger and malnutrition. The amaranth industry in Mexico sustains more than four thousand farming families, mainly in the State of Mexico, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Morelos and Mexico City (Tulyehualco). Cooperatives in Tulyehualco and Tehuacán have gained international recognition with their amaranth products.

Frequently asked questions

What does alegría taste like?

It tastes mainly of the sweetness of caramelised piloncillo with a creamy, slightly nutty undertone from the popped amaranth. The texture is very light and airy (the popped seeds are extremely thin), crunchy but not hard. It recalls a mix between sweet popcorn and a granola bar, but with a subtler and more delicate profile. The flavour is not intense but subtle and comforting; it is one of the gentlest traditional Mexican sweets on the palate, suitable for children and the elderly.

What is amaranth and why is it sacred?

Amaranth (huauhtli in Nahuatl) is a plant native to Mesoamerica with small, exceptionally nutritious seeds. It was one of the four sacred crops of the Mexica (with maize, beans and chia). It was offered to the gods and used in ritual 'zoales' figures made with amaranth dough and maguey honey. The Spaniards banned its cultivation for its association with 'idolatry'. Today it is recognised as a 'grain of the future' by the FAO for its complete proteins and its ability to combat malnutrition.

Where does alegría come from?

It originates in the Valley of Mexico, with deeply documented pre-Hispanic roots among the Nahua peoples. Tulyehualco, a village of Xochimilco in southern Mexico City, is considered the traditional capital of alegría. After the Spanish ban on amaranth during the colonial period, Tulyehualco preserved the tradition clandestinely. Today it is also made in the State of Mexico, Puebla, Tlaxcala and Morelos, the main amaranth-producing areas.

How does it differ from a palanqueta?

Alegría uses popped amaranth as its main base, giving an airy, light and subtle texture; the palanqueta uses peanuts, pumpkin seeds or other more solid nuts and seeds, giving a denser, more robust crunchy texture. Both share the technique of binding seeds with piloncillo caramel, but they belong to distinct traditions: alegría is pre-Hispanic Nahua from the Valley of Mexico; the palanqueta has a colonial origin spread across central Mexico.