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Guatemalan Artisan Candies

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Happy Independence Day Guatemala!   September 15th will mark 189 years of independence, and to celebrate The Foodies’ Kitchen will feature a few regional recipes and some Guatemalan fusion recipes so all our viewers from abroad can get a general idea about our local cuisine and flavors.

We’ll begin by telling you about our local candies, but check in because in the upcoming days we will be posting more information and recipes.

Guatemalan candies are artisan sweets made mostly from milk, condensed milk, coconut, tamarind, nuts, seeds, fruit and a lot of sugar. There are around 100 different types of traditional candies; the most popular among them is probably the “Canillitas de Leche” which is made up of milk, sugar and cinnamon. If they are properly made they will have a creamy feel to them when you put a piece in your mouth. Among the other varieties you will find dried fruit – crystallized fruit is a better term for it- , guayaba curls, tamarind balls, coconut candy, marzipan candy, pepitoria bars, coffee candy, honey dops… the list is endless and their recipes date back to more than 400 years.

   

Figs, Honey Balls, Coconut Candy, Tamarind Balls, Guayaba Curls, Canillitas de Leche

 The best known artisan candy in Guatemala is Doña Maria Gordillo’s, which is located near Antigua Guatemala’s central park, it was founded by Dolores Ortiz, who was a cloister nun from 1872, and up to this day – four generations later- it still sells the best candy around.

Antigua, Guatemala

Note: Pictures courtesy of Flickr

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This post is also available in / Esta entrada también está disponible en ESPAÑOL (SPANISH)

Comments (14)

  • Erlondeiel

    September 6, 2010 at 11:25 pm

    Nice one!!!! Whenever you want to take pics tell me. Love these ones, but extra help is always welcome.

  • Mary Perdomo

    April 8, 2011 at 5:37 pm

    I love all the recipes from Guatemala, I was born in Alta Verapaz, Congratulations for leting the rest of the world knowing about us. I would like to have the recipe for “Tamales”, my mom used to make them but I never learned. Thank you

  • Kitty

    April 9, 2011 at 9:17 am

    Hi Mary!

    We’re so glad you are enjoying our recipes from our beloved Guatemala! We’re going to look into the Tamales recipe. Personally, I’ve never made them from scratch but will look into it! Keep on visiting the site and enjoying our cooking adventures! If you have Facebook you can head to our Fan Page.

    Kitty

  • tish

    May 24, 2011 at 9:51 am

    tendran la receta de las canillitas de leche, gracias y saludos

  • Kitty

    May 24, 2011 at 10:48 am

    Tish asks us if we have the recipe for a local candy called “Canillitas de Leche”.

    We will look into getting recipes for guatemalan candy, including those! We will link them on this post as a comment too.

  • Isabel Guzmán de Blanding

    August 7, 2011 at 8:00 pm

    Helga y Kitty: hoy se me ocurrió entrar a vuestra página. Me siento orgullosa de ambas por el magnifico trabajo que han hecho y siguen haciendo. Sigan adelante. Helga: tu sabes del mal que padezco, no lo voy a mencionar; qué diera yo por tener esas habilidades que tú posees, tienes mucho potencial y debes de explotarlo. Orgullosa de ser tu suegra!!!! Sigue adelante.

  • Roxanne Sanchez

    November 12, 2012 at 11:14 am

    Can you please help me get a hold of candied figs from guatemala. My mother is going into hospice and all she asks for are those figs she had as a child. I have serached the San Francisco Bay Area with no luck. Thank you.

  • Kitty

    November 12, 2012 at 11:18 am

    Hi Roxana!
    If you can find fresh figs in San Francisco, you can make them yourself! She will be thrilled! We have the recipe here for figs in syrup- http://bit.ly/T06X1I

    We also found this recipe online for candied figs, it’s a long process, but it shouldn’t be too difficult: http://www.melindalee.com/recipes/candied-figs/

    Let us know how she likes them!

    Kitty

  • Flor

    April 8, 2013 at 7:58 pm

    I want to thank you for yhis wonderful wensite! Our food is diverse and delicious! The world needs to know ot! I cant cook but I love to eat! This website is amazing! Im in Houston and I miss our food..

  • Flor

    April 8, 2013 at 8:12 pm

    Sorry I forgot to mention, that I will be arriving to Guatemala City in July 2013, and looking to go to Antigua..where can I buy these candies? I havent been the area for years! Do they have a phone number? Please? And keep up the great job you are doing!! Thank you

  • Kitty

    April 8, 2013 at 8:53 pm

    Thank you for your kind words Flor! We are adding more and more recipes every week and… we have some recipes with a Guatemalan twist coming up too!

  • Kitty

    April 8, 2013 at 8:58 pm

    Hi Flor!
    When you come by Guate, you need to visit Doña Maria Gordillo. The address for the candy store is 4 Calle Poniente, Antigua, Guatemala, and their phone +502 7832-0403. If you want to try Guatemalan food at it’s finest, you need to head to a restaurant called Kacao in Guatemala city. You´ll love it!

    Enjoy your upcoming visit!

    Kitty & Helga

  • Michael Martin

    January 17, 2016 at 1:45 pm

    .can you post a recipe for candied figs

  • Kitty

    January 17, 2016 at 2:18 pm

    Hi Michael!
    Thank you for your question! We do have a recipe for Figs – http://bit.ly/1WkL2Au

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