There have been some cases in which people fell in love with some specific Mexican food item, which then lead them to fall in love with Mexico and stay here.

I suspect that this has happened more than once with “jamoncillos.”  This delicious milk-based candy is probably best described as a kind of fudge.  It is soft, buttery and very sweet with a touch of a nutty flavor.  In fact, it is often sold with pecans in it.

Originally, it seems to be from the north of Mexico.

The name is unusual; “jamoncillo” would probably be translated literally to something like “a small ham.”  Yet, obviously, ham or pork have absolutely nothing to do with this candy.  Perhaps it refers to one of the common or original shapes of the candy?  Who knows – on my part it’s 100% guess work.

 
Jamoncillos are sold in a variety of shapes and sizes.  The most common is a kind of ridged tube shape.  Squares (like squares of fudge) are also common, as well as small round shapes.

In any form or shape, it’s simply mouth-watering!

It can be found from big brand names in commercial packaging, but most commonly it’s a produced on a small-scale in something more like local production.  It’s rare that it’s packaged, and is often sold at candy-booths and tables in local markets.

-by Bea Lozano

TOPMexicoRealEstate.com; Mexico’s Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely