Pelon Pelo Rico is a popular tamarind-flavored candy made under the Lorena brand by the Hershey Company in Jalisco, Mexico. The product originated in Guadalajara.
Contents
It comes in regular, sour lime, watermelon, and extra spicy flavors. Ingredients include sugar, water, glucose, chili powder, citric acid, xanthan gum, and tamarind extract.
The treat's name loosely translates in English to "Yummy-Hair Baldie", because the candy is squeezed out of a tube through a grate, producing a Medusa-like effect.
Pelon Pelo Rico is inexpensive, being sold for approximately US$0.50 at corner stores, and is commonly found in Mexican-owned stores and markets.
It is enjoyed both in Mexico and the U.S.
Lead content
Pelon Pelo Rico has been implicated in the ongoing controversy in the United States surrounding unhealthy levels of lead in imported candies. It has tested high for lead in nearly 20 percent of government tests between 1994 and 2004.
As of July 2009, this and other similar Mexican candies are safe to eat.
Popular culture
In 2005, NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick ran a Pelon Pelo Rico car in the Telcel-Motorola México 200. Harvick placed second, losing to Martin Truex Jr., in the Mexico City race.