Great Food And Wine

Mexican Candy

Mexican Candy

Mexican Candy

One of the most notable differences of living in Playa is the assortment of available candy.  There are the traditional M&Ms and Snickers in wide abundance, but you will also discover a large selection of sweets that make one ponder and think really?  Although we have mostly stuck to eating traditional American goodies, we have plunged into a few of the Mexican versions.

In our welcome basket provided to our condo and villa renters we offer Tamborindos.  They are very delicious soft fruit candy made from the tamarind fruit and are covered in chili powder.  This is the favorite snack of my Mexican employee, Claudia, who can often be seen apologizing after raiding our stash.  I have also come to like Tamborindos, but since I refrain from eating candy due to self-imposed dietary restrictions, it is more of a rare splurge.

Unlike American candies which often are very sweet and are filled with peanut butter, Mexican ones are most always topped with hot chili powder and are more salty than sweet like jalapeno and corn flavored candy.  I can distinctly remember our first trip to a Mexican fair where they were serving Popsicles covered with chili sauce and chili powder. To say the least it was an eye opening experience. 

Part of the Mexican experience is trying all these different types of sweets.  I recall when we first came to Playa one of my Mayan Mexican housekeepers invited us over to a kid’s birthday party.  In the gift bags given to all the attendees were a bunch of sweets I have never seen before like dulce de leche (milk candy), Salsaghetti (straws of spicy watermelon that look like spaghetti) or chamoy liquid candy (based on a Mexican condiment made from picked fruit).  In retrospect I should have tried them all rather than gifting them to my other employees.  Now that we’ve settled into life in Playa we should make more of an effort to try these different sweets.  Each Mexican holiday has its own different type of sweet, so it should be a fun cultural experience tasting the full gamut of goods!

Playa del Carmen Rentals

Playa del Carmen Vacation Rentals

About the Author

North American Standards Property Management Company (NAS) is a boutique Playa del Carmen property management and vacation rental business founded by Matt Weatherbee and Allan Lockhart.  NAS seeks to distinguish itself by providing the quality of care clients expect from a major property management firm as well as the personal attention clients require from a dedicated manager.  Matt and Allan bring over 40 years of combined property management experience.  Unlike many larger companies in the industry, NAS focuses solely on property management and rentals, allowing us to provide our clients with more tailored service.  Only through this type of personal attention can NAS hope to cultivate long lasting relationships with its clients.

NAS was conceived during one fateful Spring vacation to Playa del Carmen, Mexico.  Founders and Boston, Massachusetts natives, Matt Weatherbee and Allan Lockhart, fell in love with Playa.  They had observed from Playa’s rapid real estate growth the need for competent, attentive, efficient and experienced property managers in the Riviera Maya.  Matt and Allan decided to transport their combined 40 years’ of property management experience from Boston to Mexico – literally.  Upon returning from vacation, they sold everything, packed their SUV and 3 months later drove 4,500 miles from Boston to Playa del Carmen to start their new business venture.

Matt graduated cum laude from Ithaca College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and minors in Theatre and Spanish.  He was inducted into Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities and speaks both English and Spanish.  He has 9 years experience managing a high-end Boston law firm where he was responsible for overseeing the internal operations, including but not limited to, bookkeeping, administrative staffing and computer systems.  Allan has owned and operated his own businesses for years, including nursing homes, fast food restaurants and health clubs.  Throughout his career, Allan has always been responsible for maintaining his own properties, including but not limited to, HVAC, water, sewer and electrical.  In the last business he established and managed, Allan designed, supervised the build out of and oversaw the maintenance of a 2000 plus member fitness facility.  Together Matt and Allan managed a 35 unit condominium complex along the Charles River in the high-end Back Bay neighborhood of Boston.

Red Bull and Mexican Candy