Frutas en almíbar, or fruits preserved in syrup, can be tooth-achingly sweet. Of the four shown here — naranjas Chinas, duraznos (probably), tejocotes, and camotes — the first is best at bucking that trend. Duraznos and camotes, that is, peaches and sweet potatoes, might qualify as dulces without the intervention of syrup; tejocotes, also called Mexican hawthorns, offer balance with a flavor that hints at sour plum.
Naranjas Chinas (35 pesos, or about $1.75 at the time, for about a dozen) do even better: To the sweetness of the syrup they offer a countervailing pucker, particularly as you bite through the intact, edible rinds. You may know them better as kumquats.
Dulceria Alexis
+52 55 5659 5597
Mercado de Coyoacán, stall 163
Ignacio Allende, Del Carmen, Coyoacán, Mexico City
www.CentroDeCoyoacan.mx/que-hacer/mercados-artesanias/Mercado-de-Coyoacan
