Candy Review: Vero Mango

Wednesday, December 10, 2008 - by Robby

After my review of Tropical LifeSavers, loyal Candy Addict reader, KK, left a comment in regards to my dilemma about being unable to find candy with an accurate mango taste. She recommended that I try Lucas Mango lollipops.

My local H.E.B. carries an assortment of Mexican candy, and though they do stock Lucas products, this specific lollipop was not available for purchase. I did, however, spot a similar confection called Vero Mango.

Vero Mango, like the Lucas version, is a mango-flavored lollipop that is dusted in a red sheath of chili. I am not really a big consumer of foreign candy that doesn’t come from European, Israeli, or Antipodean origins, so I thought this recommendation might be a nice step into the waters of the Mexican and Latin American candy world.

Growing up in Los Angeles, it was impossible not to have exposure to Mexican candy. But sometime while I was in elementary school, a classmate handed me some powdery substance that was chili in flavor, and that lone experience put me off spicy candy. I didn’t like, at least at that age, anything that wasn’t sweet. Bitter and spicy were two flavors not on my candy radar.

So I was hesitant sticking this sucker – which is shaped liked an apostrophe – into my mouth, half-expecting suppressed memories of the day I was exposed to chili candy to resurface.

Despite my reservations, the chili didn’t freak me out. It wasn’t very hot, actually kinda complex in its bitter and sour tones that in a salsa or on a chip I would probably enjoy and admire. I would say Hot Tamales cause my tongue more discomfort than these did.

Within a minute, most of the chili dissolves and the mango part kicks in. It’s subtle at first, maybe because my tongue is still distancing itself from the polar flavor of chili, but it buds nicely.

Vero says their product is an authentic Mexican tropical mango-flavored lollipop. In parentheses, however, it sets off mango as peach, pineapple, and apricot. I am not sure how anything authentically mango is anything but mango….

And the flavor is very peachy. Even before I read the online description my brain was shouting peach, peach, peach! It’s good to know I am not the equivalent of colorblind with my taste buds.

I did like this candy, even more so for the contrast of flavors and the right notes of intensity. It was definitely an appropriate stepping-stone into this confectionery market. Still, I can’t deny that I wasn’t disappointed that this too was not mango. I do adore peach, so it was a nice compromise, but I am still on the lookout. Maybe KK is right and I need to find the Lucas version.

Buy Vero Mango Online:

• at Amazon.com