Display case of paletas de agua at Mateo's |
I have a list of a dozen paleta shops, ranging from Culver City to Anaheim and El Monte, that are noted as great examples of the Mexican paleta tradition. It will take several excursions to explore them all, but today we made the first foray. We packed a cooler with ice so we could bring samples back to taste and compare.
Tamarindo paleta from Mateo's |
Vanilla with fruit, Mateo's |
Then we checked our GPS and map, and left the Westside - taking Slauson straight across town to South Central Los Angeles.
Cascada Refrescantes is in a Central Avenue strip mall just a block away from the landmark Dunbar Hotel, the heart of the historic African-American community in Los Angeles. It's a small place, with a long tiled counter, and little else but freezer cases. Kids hung out in the shady entry, enjoying cool sweet treats.
The paletas at Cascada were wrapped in clear plastic, and piled somewhat haphazardly in two freezer cases. The young woman behind the counter answered our questions, naming each variety, and pointing out which ones were popular. We chose six; one to eat and five for the cooler.
Cucumber chile, mango, strawberry-pineapple, bionico, strawberry and cream, and coconut with chocolate. |
Here, our bionico pop boasts a chunk of cantaloupe, shaped like a heart, at the base. "Maybe you should eat this one," said the woman, "it's just been made and still a little soft."
Bionico was like having breakfast on a stick - creamy, with nuts, granola, raisins, chunks of strawberries, shredded coconut. We sat in the car and shared it, bite by bite.
Our weekend took us to two other paleterias, but I'll save those reports for Part Two. Meanwhile, here are some photos of Cascada Refrescante's frozen treats:
Cucumber with chile. I haven't tasted this one yet, but maybe for lunch. Come back for Part Two!
Strawberry and pineapple looks great. This is photojournalism at its finest...
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These were so much fun to read! And they made me crave one - in Italian we call them ghiaccioli
ReplyDeleteYou are really taking one for the team here. How was the cucumber chili? Throw a little lime (and gin) in there and I would be a happy camper.
ReplyDeleteThese posts are giving me some great ideas. My sister gave me a paletas recipe book and the molds for Christmas. Now that it's 90 here, I'm not sure what they heck I am waiting for. Paletas this weekend!
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