World's Strangest Candy
Mexico: Salsagheti
What it is: The people of Mexico are bold when it comes to their sweets—so bold as to alienate many a candy lover from other nations. It’s not unusual, for instance, to find chili powder in candies—or even dusted onto them, as with chili-coated, corn-shaped lollipops. Salsagheti, however, takes gusto to a whole new realm. The watermelon-favored candy straws come with a tube of “gusano tamarind” sauce that one can apply to make it look like, yes, spaghetti. (Logical, right?)
How it tastes: Most first-timers would prefer that it tasted more like spaghetti. Tamarind has a strong, pungent taste, and Salsagheti’s sweet-meets-spicy-meets-pseudo-spaghetti is more than many candy lovers can bear. This may be the confectionary equivalent of swallowing the tequila worm.
Where to get it: Groceries and convenience store for less than $1.
