THE SCOOP ON LA MICHOACANA

T he scoop on La Michoacana

DELVE INTO THE BOLD FLAVORS OF FROZEN MEXICAN TREATS

Story and photo by Melissa Rubalcaba Riske

With flavors so rich and deep, all it takes is one taste to know this isn’t your typical ice cream. With its bright bold colors and flavors of tropical fruits, there are so many delicious ways to indulge during a visit to La Michoacana, the ice cream shops based on the flavors and recipes from Mexico.

“We try to bring the flavors of Mexico in different ways,” says Carlos Juarez. Juarez and his wife, Diana Moreno, opened La Michoacana Sweet Bliss in St. Charles in January 2020 following the success of their Yorkville location, which opened in 2017. Moreno, who had experience working in another La Michoacana, convinced her husband it was time to launch their own business.

Their leap into the business has been a sweet one. Each week Juarez makes more than 3,000 pounds of ice cream for the two locations. Offerings include ice creams as well as popsicles, known as paletas. Each flavor is made by hand, using either a waterbased or milk-based recipe and lots of fresh fruit. Juarez says the strawberry ice cream alone requires 10 pounds of fresh hulled strawberries for a single container of ice cream.

“This is very different than American ice cream or even gelato,” Juarez explains. While the unique flavors and recipes are part of the allure, it was also part of the risk, Juarez says, as his family worried about the business finding success. “We didn’t know if people would accept us,” he says. Add to that the challenges of the pandemic, yet Juarez and his family continued to churn out fresh

favors and greet new customers. Each product is made by hand, with as many as 56 different flavors of treats available between the two locations at any time. While you may have spotted the name La Michoacana in other locations or even on treats sold in grocery stores, they are not part of a large chain, but rather independent businesses. Each one has their own recipes and treats. Beatriz and Alfredo Sanchez opened their first La Michoacana ice cream shop nearly eight years ago, venturing into the realm of ice cream after the success of their first business, Azteca Bakery in Carpentersville. Today they manage ice cream shops in Carpentersville, Streamwood and Belvidere and own three locations in Austin, Texas.

The two decided to change up their shop’s name and call it Las Mangonadas, in honor of one of their bestselling items, la mangonada. Beatriz Sanchez says each mangonada starts with a base of fresh mango ice cream and mango slices, mixed with tamarind, tajín and the sour chamoy made from fermented fruit, salt, sugar and chilies. It offers a refreshing treat that combines sweet, spicy and sour all together. “There are so many different combinations,” Sanchez says. And for those simply not in the mood for ice cream, Las Mangonadas offers another very popular choice: elote, made from fresh corn, mayo, cheese, butter and seasoning. “I like to cook and I love being here,” Sanchez says. Sanchez adds that she works hard to keep her recipes and flavors unique to her shop. Popular flavors in the summer include water-based flavors with fresh fruits including mango, guava, watermelon and strawberry. As for the milkbased flavors, she has been creative, building recipes around pecans, cookies and chocolate candies — even creating a cheesecake flavor. “Each shop has different flavors, so you must go in and try and taste the differences,” Sanchez says.  LA MICHOACANA SWEET BLISS 902 S. Randall Road, St. Charles 630-549-0641 Facebook: La Michoacana Sweet Bliss St. Charles Il

 LAS MANGONADAS 91 S. Kennedy Drive, Carpentersville 847-428-1800 Facebook: Las Mangonadas LLC Carpentersville

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