Tamarind sweets: what they are, types and how to make them

What is it?

Tamarind sweets are a family of Mexican treats made with the sweet-and-sour pulp of the tamarind fruit, combined with sugar, salt and chilli powder. They include chilli-laced tamarind balls, sticks coated in chamoy, sheet-form pulparindos wrapped in cellophane, and ones filled with peanut, coconut or piloncillo. They are an emblem of the Mexican street snack, found at any sweet stall, corner shop, market and fair sweet shop. Their simultaneously sweet-and-sour, spicy and salty flavour represents the quadruple palette of flavours that defines popular Mexican taste, making them one of the most moreish snacks of the national sweet culture.

Origin and history

The tamarind (Tamarindus indica) is a tree native to tropical Africa that arrived in Mexico in the 16th century via the Manila galleons, brought from Asia by Spanish traders. It adapted perfectly to the warm climate of the Pacific, Veracruz, Colima, Jalisco, Guerrero and Oaxaca, where it is now grown industrially. Larousse Cocina notes that its use in drinks (tamarind water) is practically pre-Hispanic-adapted, while the sweets are a 19th and 20th-century innovation. Mexico Desconocido documents that pulparindos emerged as an industrial product in the second half of the 20th century with the De La Rosa brand, pioneers in chilli-laced tamarind sheet. The combination of tamarind with chilli is a Mexican invention, with no precedent in the cooking of South Asia, where tamarind is used savoury or sweet-and-sour without heat. This innovation responds to the national taste for mixing sweet, sour and spicy.

Characteristic ingredients

The tamarind used is the fleshy pulp surrounding the seeds inside the pod, dark brown in colour, sticky in texture and intensely sweet-and-sour due to its high tartaric acid content (8-12%). To make sweets the pod is shelled, the seeds are removed and the pulp is cooked with sugar until it thickens; some recipes use corn syrup, salt, citric acid and ground chilli powder (de arbol or piquin). Pulparindos are made into a thin sheet that is rolled; the balls are formed by hand and coated in chilli sugar; the sticks have a wooden stick and are coated in liquid chamoy or thick chilli-laced pulp. Premium variants include tamarind with natural piloncillo without colourings, fillings of Japanese peanuts, or coatings of grated coconut. The industrial producers are De La Rosa, Lucas, Pelon Pelo Rico, while small artisanal producers keep more natural versions.

Cultural significance

Tamarind sweets are one of the symbols of the Mexican street snack and represent the national flavour identity: the love of the simultaneously sweet-and-sour, spicy, salty and sweet. They are sold in every neighbourhood shop, market, corner, school kiosk and sweet shop in the country, and are part of the everyday menu of Mexican childhood. The chilli-laced tamarind sweet industry is one of the most successful in Mexican confectionery: brands such as De La Rosa, Pulparindo and Lucas export to the United States, Central America and Mexican communities in Europe. Tamarind cultivation supports thousands of farming families in Colima (the national leader), Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacan and Oaxaca. The chilli-tamarind fusion has spread to other global combinations of the Mexican palate (mango with chilli, watermelon with Tajin) and is considered one of Mexico's great flavour contributions to the world of snacks.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between pulparindo and tamarind balls?

The pulparindo is an industrial sheet of chilli-laced tamarind paste, wrapped in cellophane and marketed by De La Rosa since the 1960s. The balls are artisanal or semi-industrial: small spheres of tamarind pulp coated in chilli and salt sugar, made by hand. They share ingredients but differ in shape, texture and process.

What do chilli-laced tamarind sweets taste like?

They have a sharply sweet-and-sour profile from the tamarind pulp rich in tartaric acid, accentuated by the sweetness of the sugar, the salt and the heat of the chilli powder. The combination is electrifying: sour in the mouth, lingering sweetness, salt that enhances, and a moderate to intense heat depending on the brand. Moreish and representative of the Mexican palate.

How are tamarind sweets eaten?

They are eaten as a snack on the go, freshly bought at corner shops, on school outings, at fairs or gatherings. The balls and sticks are sucked slowly to enjoy the chilli and the sweet-and-sour; pulparindos are chewed like a gummy; the peanut-filled ones are eaten as little bites. They are also used to garnish micheladas, esquites and mangonadas.

Where do tamarind sweets come from?

They are a Mexican creation of the 19th and 20th centuries, although the tamarind is of African origin, brought to Mexico in the 16th century by the Spanish galleons. Cultivation is concentrated in Colima, Guerrero, Jalisco and Oaxaca. The combination with chilli and the chilli-laced industrial confectionery are Mexican innovations that do not exist in the traditional Asian or African cuisines of tamarind.