Camotes poblanos: what they are and how they're made

What is it?

Sweet-potato sweet, known in its most emblematic form as 'camotes de Santa Clara' or simply 'Puebla camotes', is a traditional convent sweet made with sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) cooked, peeled, puréed and mixed with sugar, cooked again until it thickens to form a paste that is shaped into thin cylindrical rolls. These rolls are wrapped individually in coloured cellophane that indicates their flavour: strawberry (pink), pineapple (yellow), orange (orange), walnut (brown), vanilla (white) or lime (light green). It has a soft, firm texture, similar to fudge or nougat, with a deep sweet-potato flavour enriched by the aroma of the added flavour. It is one of the most representative convent sweets of Puebla, where New Spain Baroque confectionery reached its peak between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. It is sold in the historic sweet shops of the Calle de los Dulces of Puebla, being an identity product and an essential tourist memento of the state.

Origin and history

Sweet-potato sweet is one of the great legacies of Puebla convent confectionery. Its origin dates back to the convents of Santa Clara, Santa Mónica and Santa Inés in Puebla during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, when the confectioner nuns developed an extraordinarily sophisticated confectionery that combined pre-Hispanic ingredients (sweet potato, cacao, vanilla) with European techniques (caramelisation, crystallisation, infusions). The sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) is native to Central and South America, cultivated since pre-Hispanic times by the Mesoamerican peoples. Sahagún documents its consumption among the Nahuas. The confectionery adaptation into convent pastry-making is a New Spain invention. Larousse Cocina identifies Puebla camotes as one of the most characteristic and oldest convent sweets of the Mexican repertoire. Legend attributes the recipe to Sor Andrea de la Asunción of the convent of Santa Clara in the eighteenth century. After the secularisation of the nuns in the nineteenth century under the Reform Laws, the recipes passed to the lay families who took charge of the sweet shops. The most recognised historic brands are 'Dulces Típicos Poblanos La Gran Vía' and 'Dulcería de Santa Clara', more than a century old.

Characteristic ingredients

The sweet potato is the essential ingredient; white- or yellow-fleshed varieties are preferred for their more neutral flavour that better accepts the added flavours, although purple sweet potato is also used for variants with its natural colour. Refined sugar is the traditional sweetener. The natural essences or pulps provide the flavours: strawberry pulp, orange juice and zest, pineapple juice, natural vanilla essence, lime juice and zest, ground walnut or grated coconut. Some premium variants contain liqueurs or spirits for an adult profile. The classic preparation involves cooking the sweet potatoes until soft, peeling them, puréeing (preferably passing through a sieve for a silky texture) and cooking with sugar over a low heat for one to two hours until a dense paste is obtained that comes away from the bottom of the pan. At this point the basic mixture is divided into parts and a different flavour is incorporated into each. Each flavoured paste is partly cooled and shaped into thin cylindrical rolls (1.5 to 2 cm in diameter by 8-10 cm long). These are wrapped individually in colour-coded cellophane and tied at the ends. The usual proportion is one kilo of cooked sweet potato per 800 grams of sugar, yielding about forty individual camotes.

Cultural significance

Sweet-potato sweet is one of the most identity-defining products of Puebla and of Mexican New Spain confectionery heritage. Traditional Mexican cuisine, UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2010, includes convent sweets as representative expressions of colonial culinary mestizaje. The Calle de los Dulces (6 Oriente) of Puebla, declared the Cultural Heritage of the Municipality, brings together the historic sweet shops that keep this tradition alive, being a must-visit for the state's culinary tourism. The city of Puebla was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 for its exceptional Baroque heritage; convent confectionery is an inseparable part of this integral heritage. The sweet-potato sweet industry sustains cooperatives and family sweet shops in the Puebla historic centre, generating employment and preserving centuries-old convent techniques. Some sweet shops such as 'La Gran Vía' or 'Dulces de Santa Clara' have kept the same family recipe for four or five generations. Sweet-potato sweet is also an exported product, finding a market especially among the Mexican diaspora in the United States. Puebla's major festivities, such as the patron-saint festival and the 5 May celebration, reinforce the consumption and dissemination of this confectionery tradition.

Frequently asked questions

What does sweet-potato sweet taste like?

It tastes deeply of the added flavour (strawberry, pineapple, orange, vanilla, lime, walnut or coconut) with a soft undertone of cooked sweet potato that adds creaminess without dominating. The texture is firm but soft, similar to fudge or soft nougat, melting slightly in the mouth as the sugar dissolves. Each flavour is clearly distinguishable. It is intensely sweet, characteristic of Puebla Baroque convent confectionery, meant to accompany coffee or as a dessert after traditional meals.

What are the traditional varieties?

The classic ones are: strawberry (wrapped in pink cellophane), pineapple (yellow), orange (orange), vanilla (white), walnut (brown), lime (light green) and coconut. Premium variants include wine camote (with sherry or brandy), cajeta camote (with Celaya cajeta), raisin camote and almond camote. The colour of the wrapping cellophane identifies the flavour without the need for a label, a visual system inherited from the historic Puebla convent sweet shops.

Where do Puebla camotes come from?

They originate in the colonial convents of Puebla, especially those of Santa Clara, Santa Mónica and Santa Inés, during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Legend attributes the original recipe to Sor Andrea de la Asunción of the Convent of Santa Clara in the eighteenth century. The Calle de los Dulces (6 Oriente) in the historic centre of Puebla, declared the Cultural Heritage of the Municipality, is the traditional heart of their making and sale to this day, with century-old sweet shops.

How is sweet-potato sweet stored?

Puebla camotes keep for up to two months in an airtight container at room temperature, thanks to their high sugar content, which acts as a natural preservative. The individual cellophane wrapping protects against moisture and prevents them sticking together. They do not need refrigeration. They are an especially suitable tourist memento for their portable character and resistance to transport. The sweet shops present them in traditional decorated boxes with Puebla Baroque motifs, ideal as a gift.