From a Copper Kettle in Mexico City to the Heart of Austin, Texas.
Before there was Tamalitoz, there was a tiny, high-altitude candy studio in the heart of Mexico City called Sugarox. It was there, among the hustle and bustle of the city, that we, Jack and Declan, spent our days hunched over bubbling copper kettles, hand-stretching 20-pound rolls of glowing hot sugar on wall hooks.
Our customers used to stand mesmerized behind the glass, watching the rhythmic dance of the candy-making process. One afternoon, as we were hand-pulling a fresh batch of our signature ribbon candy pillows, brightly striped and packed with our secret blend of chili, lime, and sea salt, a woman watching us gasped.
"¡Parecen tamalitos!" she exclaimed. "They look like tiny tamales!"
In that moment, Tamalitoz by Sugarox was born.
Artisanal Soul, Scaled with Heart
As word spread and the cravings grew, we faced a dilemma: how do we grow without losing the "old school" soul of the candy? In our original shop, the high altitude of Mexico City and our traditional gas-fired copper kettles meant a single batch took nearly two and a half hours to cook. We were making in six weeks what a hungry world wanted in a day.
We searched far and wide for a manufacturing partner who shared our obsession. We didn't want to change the recipe. We just wanted to find a team as passionate as we were. We found them, a team that uses those same artisanal techniques but allowed us to bring the heat to the masses without ever cutting corners on quality.
The Chicano Evolution
In October 2019, we packed up our passion and moved our headquarters to Austin, Texas. This move sparked a new era of creativity. We began developing what we call our "Chicano Candies," flavors born in the USA like Cherry It's A Fire, Bite Me Blood Orange, Gorgeous Green Apple, and Peach Slapped, but rooted deeply in Mexican tradition, with a spicy center.
Today, our Austin-based studio has expanded far beyond those original "little tamales." From the swirled intensity of our Chili Pops to the savory-sweet crunch of Palomitaz Popcorn and the decadent fire of our Dulce de Leche, every product we make carries that same original spark.
We’re still that same husband-and-husband duo, still obsessed with the "sweet bait and spicy switch," and still making candy with a little bit of heart, a lot of heat, and just enough mischief to keep things interesting.
Call us hot. Just don’t call us sweet.