My 10 Favorite Tienda & Oxxo Snacks

5 Sweet and 5 Savory Mexican Road Trip Treats You Really Should Try!

I like Doritos.

I like Oreos.

I like Kit Kats and Snickers bars.

Photo by Oswaldo Ayala on Unsplash

However, you won’t find those treats or any other snacks that are easily found in Los Estado Unidos (and countless other countries) on this list.

This blog is about the road trip snacks you’ll specifically find in Mexico that you need to try! We’re talking Barcel and Bimbo, baby!

Note: I’m not saying these snacks are only found in Mexico, but its certainly where I first discovered each of these items.

I’ll keep the explanations short because regardless of a long flowery description, your taste buds need to know for themselves in the end.

Top 5 Sweet Treats

Glorias

This dulce de leche treat is made with goat milk and nuts. I know it sounds strange, but it’s so good that it made me want to write this entire blog. I might have never tried it if my ex Maria hadn’t been a big fan and had shown me the light. It’s an incredible little caramel burst and the perfect sweet treat to close the taste buds after a huge feast. There are only five ingredients: Goat’s milk, sugar, corn syrup, pecans, and sodium bicarbonate.

Kranky

My friend Camille has Mexican roots and whenever she visits Puerto we bond over our love for Kranky. They’re basically like little chocolate-coated frosted flakes. I love cereal, I love chocolate, and I love smashing a bag of Kranky while watching a movie (especially if it’s been in the freezer for a little while).

Madalenas Con Mantequilla

These are so delicious that on the first bite, my reaction is always This has to be terrible for me. I think they have every excess warning label that exists on the package. Either way, when I’m on a road trip or long bike ride and can summon a decent excuse to rip open a package of these little sugar clouds, my mouth salivates.

Gansito

Gansito took me a while to discover, but I still remember my first. It was during a break on a group hike. It was a long hot day. I saw one in the pocket of a refrigerator. I knew Gansito was some sort of equivalent to a Little Debbie snack in The States—hence, terrible for me—but something cold and sugary seemed perfect and well-earned that afternoon. Since that first delicious experience, I treat myself now and then to a cold Gansito that’s way too delicious to not be full of preservatives and other nonsense. This treat also has nearly every excess label the government gives out.

Chokis

I know what some of you are thinking—calm down mate, Chokis are basically just Chips Ahoy. But, au contraire mon frère, I dare you to do a blind taste test between the two. For me, a real old-fashioned cookie lover, it’s not even close. Chips Ahoy exists in Mexico, but you won’t catch me with that trash in my shopping cart. Chokis are far superior, and their variety is fun to play around with. My favorite style is “Chocbase,” but you can’t go wrong so go crazy and try them all.

Top 5 Savory Treats

Hot Nuts (Original or Fuego)

I love peanuts. I also really love Japanese-style peanuts where the nut gets a wheat flour coating and then gets deep-fried. As you can tell, I’m not writing a health blog here, but if you want to try a satisfyingly crunchy and savory treat that is arguably healthier than a potato chip—give it a go. There are many other brands that make this style of nut (one is even called Japones) but Barcel knows how to overseason the shit of their snacks to make your mouth explode so Hot Nutz is my favorite of the bunch.

Queso Ruffles

Speaking of overseasoning the shit out of a chip… good lord. If you know you know, but Queso Cheddar Ruffles are straight from Flavor Town. I don’t think I would describe the flavor as cheese, but it sure is a lot of FLAVOR with a capital F. They’re incredibly good, and anyone reading this list who has lived in Mexico for a bit was likely waiting for this item to make an appearance. If I had to bet on one item to eventually make it into stores in Los Estados Unidos and around the world, it’s Queso Ruffles.

They taste… inevitable.

Chip’s Jalapeno

Not the most creative marketing, but Chip’s Jalapeño flavored crisp is an absolute road trip banger or perfect BBQ addition. It’s a lot like the Kettle brand jalapeno chip in taste and texture, but as I’ve mentioned, Barcel knows how to overdo it on flavor so it’s even more punchy. If you’re from the south, it’s the closest thing you’ll find in Mexico to a Zapp’s chip… my all-time favorite brand of chips (or crisps, for my European friends).

Fritos (All Three Flavors)

Fritos are not from Mexico, but I’m pretty certain that these three flavors originated in Mexico to serve this population of chip lovers. Chorizo y Chipotle is probably my favorite with its mysterious smokey sabor, but Sal y Limon and Chile y Limon are both delicious too, and I like to switch it up. Also, Fritos are a corn-based chip, so in some ways less terrible for you than traditional potato chips.

Tostitos Salsa Verde

Tostitos as a brand certainly exists in The United States and far beyond, but the sabor Salsa Verde is a Mexican treat. It’s almost like a differently shaped Dorito, with how much seasoning is loaded onto each circular little tortilla chip. \

If you’re a fan of elotes and esquites, and you ever see an esquites street cart with a Tostitos Salsa Verde bag hanging there, ask for your esquites to be prepared inside the bag. This delicacy is sometimes referred to as “Dorilocos” or “Tostilocos,” but whether you know what to call it or not (or whether you speak a word of Spanish or not), that’s why the bag is hanging there, so with enough pointing and hand gestures, they’ll surely understand.

Mira…

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Insider info: Snacks that exist in The States but are far better in Mexico.