Palapa Azul Bars

Palapa Azul Bars

Cucumber chile ice bars. Perfect for when you get that craving for a frozen cucumber-chile snack and just don't know what to do!

I first tasted these at the Natural Products West expo about a month ago. Some guys from Wisconsin stopped me in the aisle and said "You HAVE to try this!" They didn't even work for Palapa Azul - they were just enthusiastic eaters.

In Mexico, street vendors sell fruit ices known as "paletas." These are in that style.

They make a rainbow of flavors - mango, watermelon, strawberry, even a sweet corn - but I think these were the winner in the exotic category.

Unfortunately, though they are novel, I really don't like them. They are too spicy and the spice continues, so you never really get a break from it. The cucumber flavor is nice and strong but the chile starts to interfere after a while.

They would be fun at a party for people to try, but for everyday eating, I would buy the fruit flavors, which are really good.