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 Although the “penguin man” is no longer on the beach, I can still get my paleta “fix” year around at the La Michoacana paleteria. I have enjoyed them in my travels in Mexico and before we moved here from Albuquerque, paleterias were springing up all over town and the guys with push carts selling them were walking the streets in our neighborhood. For years I wondered about all the stores named La Michoacana that are found all around Mexico and in Latino neighborhoods in the US. Could one family own all these establishments? Could there be a Bill Gates of paletas? No, that’s not the case. Stories differ about how their popularity spread, but everyone agrees that paletas originated in the small town of Tocumbo in the state of Michoacan. Someone from there either took the idea to Mexico City or to the United States. Other people saw their success and started their own paleterias. In the 1960’s when paleterias were opening all over the place, no one thought of copyrighting the name, so most of the paleterias became La Michoacana and everyone used the same identifying hot pink color on their stores. Now people are adding words like Nueva to La Michoacana in order to have an individual identity.
Even though it’s fall in the Yucatan, the temperature is still in the 90’s and writing about paletas has made me want one. And although they are easy to make, I think I’ll just stroll into the little village of Chelem and see what flavors our local La Michoacana has to offer today.
Pina Colada Paletas
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup pineapple, crushed
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
Mix all ingredients together and pour into ice pop molds or plastic disposable cups with snap-on lids. Push a popsicle stick into the straw opening in the lid. Freeze well and serve.
Strawberry Cream Paletas
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 3/4 cups strawberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Wash strawberries and remove hulls and stems. Place in a blender with the condensed milk and puree until smooth. Mix the strawberry cream mixture with lemon juice. Pour into ice pop molds or plastic disposable cups with snap on lids. Push a popsicle stick into the straw opening in the lid. Freeze well and serve.
Thanks to Easy Entertaining for Beginners for the recipes
Check out these other articles about Mexican and Central American cuisine from Nancy Gerlach:
In Search of Hot Stuff in Costa Rica
Return to the Yucatan
Nancy and Jeff Move to Mexico: Part Two, Feliz Navidad!
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