A pile of muéganos, from Flickr user Jackie Palacios
Per my usual food experience in Mexico City, I kept seeing muéganos on the street and had no idea what they were. Was this a nutty popcorn ball of sorts? Or a sickly sweet, praline concoction where you could feel the sugar granules under your teeth?
Fany’s cookbook had a recipe. It turns out muéganos are fried-dough balls, stuck together with piloncillo syrup. Since I am the girl who orders a buñuelo off the street and then greedily eats the whole thing, muéganos were not a snack that I could miss.
So, a few days ago, I ventured to the candy vendor who sits outside the Palacio de Hierro parking lot under a blue umbrella. (I’m guessing he hands people candy through their car windows.) Like a lot of other street candy vendors, he sells gaznates — tube-shaped pastries stuffed with meringue — and cocadas. One muégano was kind of expensive: 15 pesos, or more than a dollar.
Being a good food blogger, I meant to take my muégano home and get a photo first. But just knowing there was fried, sticky-sweet dough ball in my purse, I couldn’t help myself and bit into it right away.
Wow. This thing was dangerous. A lot of Mexican candies are overwhelmingly sweet, but the muégano seemed balanced, with the caramel taste of Cracker Jack popcorn. It was kind of like eating a syrup-soaked buñuelo that had hardened in the sun somehow.
I loved it.
My partially eaten muégano
Obviously I can’t order them every day, but I may get one again, when an alegría doesn’t suffice.
Have you tried muéganos before?
haha, great, more crack. and the one you mention is right by my apartment, too!
I have not tried a muégano yet! Is it the Palacio de Hiero in Polanco? I wonder if he is there on Saturday? I live elsewhere but I’m in Polanco every Saturday. Please let me know!
Hi Kim: I’m not sure if he’s in Polanco. The Palacio near my house is the one on Durango, in the Roma neighborhood. You might try keeping your eyes open next time you’re there. The dude near my Palacio sits right at the entrance/exit to the parking garage. Or you can try to search for muéganos at the Centro Commercial next to Palacio — I think it’s called Pabellón Polanco? They might have a candy stand inside.
These remind me of the Italian “strufoli” – honey balls they make at Christmas time…You did a fine job in biting into it….JaJa!
Thanks Norma. My friend William from cooking class just gave me a great tip, while we’re talking about biting into muéganos — he heats his in the microwave for five seconds, which melts the syrup a bit! And then you can eat the individual pieces one-by-one. Doesn’t that sound so good?
Never tried them, but it looks so sweet that it would make my sensitive teeth ache.
I’m a fan of buñuelos!
Hi Cindylu: They’re actually not as sweet as they look. That’s why I never wanted to taste them either — I thought I’d have a bite and not be able to finish the rest. But I did. 🙂
I have always wanted to try these, my fingers repeatedly take me to fany’s recipe each time I open her book, lol
I loved buying dulces from vendors as we waited in line to cross over to Brownsville, Texas from Matamoros..
bonnie
That’s it, I am packing my bags and moving! Those look delicious and there is nothing like that here in the Netherlands (that I can think of at least!).
I am so craving Mueganos right now!