Dulceria de Celaya, Mexico City

Established in 1874 in the city center of Mexico City, this sweet boutique is dedicated to the promotion of traditional Mexican confections with a decidedly antique feel. The patina acquired by the shop over the years attests to its long history. La Dulcería de Celaya was founded by the Guizar family with the idea of selling candy from all over Mexico under one roof. Over time, they started producing their own candy in the store basement.

Today, every single candy, cookie or cake displayed in the shop is made at the company’s own factory. The production has long outgrown the basement workshop, but the sweets are still made in the same artisanal way, following the recipes used for more than a century. The production range includes traditional Mexican biscuits and sweets, among which are coconut stuffed limes (limones cocadas), pig-shaped cookies, Tortitas de Puebla (pie crust type exterior with caramel filling), colorful lagrimas (flavored liquid filled candies) and many other items. The sweets are organized neatly in trays, like precious jewels of every imaginable color, so it's fun to merely browse.

With a green and gold Art Nouveau sign, complex tile work and ornate walls, this shop projects the image of a Parisian patisserie, but the meringues, candied fruit, and coconut-flavored sweets bring you back to Mexico City. Anyone with a sweet tooth will certainly find something to their liking here. These sweets are also great gifts to take home.

Tip:
If money is no object, stock up on traditional Mexican sweets. Here are some suggestions: aleluyas – small, round candies made from either pecans, dates, pine nuts, almonds or milk; mazapanes – made with peanut paste; alegrías – bars made from amaranth seeds held together with honey; cocadas – made with coconut flakes; bollitos – rolls of candied fruit such as guava or strawberry; camotes – traditional sweet potato candy from the state of Puebla; cajeta – candies made with caramelized goat’s milk from Celaya in the state of Guanajuato; tamarind candy – available in two versions, sweet and spicy; enjambres – balls of chocolate and pecans, covering marshmallows and in tarts, cakes and cookies; and tres leches cakes.
And if you're on a strict budget, consider a piece of crystallized fruit like lime or pineapple, or a shatteringly crisp meringue.