Chamoy Candy: History, Flavors & Brands

Snack History Nostalgia Rating: ⭐⭐☆☆☆

This candy story is going to look a little bit different than some of our others. Why? Because it’s a unique candy choice so it deserves a unique approach. Do you know much about chamoy? What if you can take the sweet flavor of your favorite candy and combine it with the spicy flavors of chamoy? 

Some candy companies have done just that! Chamoy candy actually comes from several different brands and is not a brand that is just “chamoy candy” so we’re going to talk about the candy in general and share some of the popular candies that have different varieties to choose from. 

What is Chamoy? 

Let’s start with chamoy. This is a sauce. It’s considered to be a hot sauce but it’s also sweet. The sauce can be made in different ways so depending on where you get it from or who made it, it might have different flavors. 

Chamoy is made using pickled fruit and combining it with chilies. It’s a popular Mexican condiment. Ultimately, it’s a paste that is used to coat things or put them in sauce. Since the flavors are unique, you get a blend of sweet and sour mixed with spicy. 

Here’s how the process works to make chamoy. You choose the fruit you plan to use and create a brine for it. This is going to also add saltiness and help create your sauce or paste. The brine can vary but it usually has vinegar in it. The acidity of vinegar draws the moisture from the fruit into the brine. It dries out the fruit. 

The fruit is removed from the liquid and the liquid is combined with chilies or chili powder. This creates chamoy. That’s the basis of it. If you want a paste, you may decide to puree some of the dried fruit and combine it. That part is up to you. 

If you think about the breakdown of these details, you notice that we just mention fruit. You can use any fruit that appeals to you to create your chamoy. For this reason, no two batches taste exactly the same most of the time. 

In fact, even if you choose a chamoy candy brand that you really like, you might still catch different flavors on occasion. The fruits can be changed and so can the brining solution. 

It’s really a pretty interesting idea if you think about it. The result is a spicy sauce that also has the perfect touch of sweet and salty mixed into it. 

What is Chamoy Candy? 

If chamoy is a sauce, then chamoy candy is candy covered in sauce, right? That’s absolutely correct! There are different brands that make a variety of candies. The most authentic brands are made by Mexican candy companies but you will find there are a variety of options out there. 

The really cool thing about this type of candy is that it can be made from any favorite candy. Of course, the best results come from candy that is chewy usually. That seems to be the preferred preference. When you look at different chamoy candy options, you don’t see anything like chamoy M&Ms. Instead you see things like gushers, skittles, gummy worms, and even sour patch kids. 

The companies that make chamoy candy use either their version of a candy or they use branded candy options and combine it with the chamoy sauce to make a delightfully tasty candy. 

Take this brand Chilitos for example. They have a mixed variety that includes all of the following items in chamoy sauce. 

• Sour gummy worms
• Sour gummy bears
• Sour watermelon gummies
• Gushers
• Skittles
• Peach rings
• Green apple rings
• Sour belts 
• Manguitos
• Sour patch kids
• Sour patch watermelons
• Raspberry tuberoos

That’s quite a variety. All of these candies are coasted in chamoy and then mixed together. You get a combination of sweet, sour, and spicy all wrapped into one. It’s a blast of flavors. This company states they make their chamoy using fruit pulp and fresh chilies. 

This particular company even has chamoy candy dipping platters that you can dip your chamoy candy in more chamoy! 

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Brands that Offer Chamoy Candy

There is no brand that is actually called Chamoy candy. Rather, there are several different brands and companies out there that make varieties of chamoy candy. This means that you really have a lot of different options when it comes to choosing your candy. 

Across the board, the candy is made in unique flavors and options. You can find sour candy and chewy candy most often. There are also hard candies and sucker candies that you dip in a chamoy powder substance. Whatever appeals to you, you might be able to find. This candy has a ton of choices. 

We wanted to share a few different brands that you might be able to find out there. Some of them are authentic Mexican candy makers and others are brands that decided to try to make something unique for you. 

• Jovy
• Chilitos
• Beny Locochas Sabor
• Lucas (powders, gel, and suckers)
• Lily’s Chilies
• Mega
• Vero Takis
• Pulparindo
• Bazooka
• Mike’s Sweet & Spicy candies

These are just a few examples. Some people have even tried making their own Chamoy candy using a chamoy sauce of their choice. It’s totally up to you. 

Chamoy History

Since this candy is all about chamoy, let’s talk just a bit more about chamoy as a substance. Chamoy has some Asian background in its history as well. The stories say that Mexico received a lot of Asian ingredients during a specific time period in history. At the time, Mexico was receiving many Chinese immigrants. 

Things like licorice, tamarind, and mango came to Mexico during this time. One of the popular things that came was a salted and dried apricot mixture. A lot of the stories mention that chamoy itself perhaps came from this particular food, or at least the inspiration for it. Of course, these are simply stories so it’s hard to tell what is true and what has been made up through the years. 

What is thought to be the original version of Chamoy made by Asian culture was just a sweet and salty sauce or paste. Those varieties didn’t have chili peppers. Mexican chamoy, which is what is used for chamoy candy, added the chili peppers. 

The chili peppers are what makes this paste and sauce so great with certain candies. The combination of sweet, salty, and spicy just really stand out and there is something that makes it irresistible. 

Chamoy Candy History

Out of that was born chamoy candy. Over the years, chamoy has changed a lot and become a highly-processed condiment in most cases. However, chamoy candy was made by chefs and individuals who simply decided to try to get creative. 

It’s not necessarily a new concept but creating and marketing the candy is something that has happened in more recent years overall. How it is made and what is used really just depends on the company or individual that is crafting the candy. There are tons of options out there. 

Ingredients

• Sugar
• Iodized Salt
• Citric Acid
• Chili Powder
• Less than 2% – Silicon Dioxide
• Coloring (Red 40 Lake)
• Artificial Flavor

Nutrition

Serving Size:	1 unit (92g)	% Daily Value*
Amount Per Serving
Calories from Fat	0
Calories	80
Total Fat	0g	0%
Trans Fat	0g
Sodium	650mg	27%
Total Carbohydrates	19g	6%
Sugars	13g
Protein	0g
Vitamin A	4%

• Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Final Thoughts

Chamoy candy is certainly one that everyone should try. It’s unique and it has an incredible thought process behind it. It might be a concept that at first thought doesn’t sound awesome to you. However, when you decide to give it a try, the intense flavor combinations come together for a delightful candy choice.