I was feeling adventurous this past week. Sure, there were a bunch of candies on my to-buy list that I had on my mind heading into my local H.E.B., but my spontaneity got the better of me. I craved something different and unexpected.
How does that translate into candy? Well, I decided to peruse the foreign candy aisle. My last experience with this section of the supermarket yielded a review of Vero Mango. It was very unlike any other candy I had tasted recently, and so my urge to sample another Mexican product needed to be placated.
There were many different items tempting me, but in the interest of exploring candy flavors I do not usually consume, I browsed for ingredients not typically common in many mainstream, American products.
What did my eyes finally land on? Rollito de Coco (Coconut Candy Roll) by El Azteca. I was intrigued by this cigar-shaped candy, and coconut, though present in the American confectionery world, is rather sporadic in its appearance, usually relegated to a vast assortment of ingredients. But here was a candy dedicated specifically to the coconut.
El Azteca is a Mexican candy company establish in 1990. Because they have a distributing plant in Texas, I find their products fairly easily in Austin, but I don’t recall seeing them in Los Angeles, so I am not sure about their availability throughout the states.
Each piece is a white roll with a brown strip, resembling toasted/burnt coconut shavings. It is pretty sticky, but the aroma is rich with coconut, similar to a fresh macaroon. They’re incredibly soft and easy to bite into with the interior being moist, as if this were fresh coconut you were eating.
The coconut interior is comprised of shaved coconut that is texturally very apparent on the tongue. Those of you who tolerate the taste, but cannot compromise on shaved coconut’s feel are warned to avoid this product.
The coconut flavor is milky with a butter note. Even though it’s candy, it’s pretty refined in its sweetness, similar to how Mexican pastries and sweet breads have hints of sugar instead of an overwhelming presence.
I enjoyed this because I like coconut. I essentially got what the candy advertised: a roll of coconut that was lightly sweetened. There really isn’t anything complex to this product and its description. If you enjoy this sort of thing like I do, then buy it if you see it.
Buy Rollito de Coco Online:
- at Amazon.com
