The first time I encountered paletas in Mexico, they felt strangely familiar. They reminded me of the iced treats of my Malaysian childhood: fruit-driven, brightly coloured and made less to indulge than to relieve the heat. What struck me most was the flavour logic shared by both countries, where sweetness is often enlivened with salt, chilli, tamarind or citrus, each sharpening the fruit in its own way and making it seem brighter, cooler and somehow more vivid. Paletas are rarely perfectly smooth; little pieces of fruit suspended in the ice give them texture and interest. These two paletas take different paths from the same base: pineapple – sharp, clean and bright with lime and ginger – and mango – sweeter, rounder and more indulgent, which I’ve spiked with chilli, lime and salt.Pineapple and mango paletasPaleta moulds are easy to find online and in many kitchenware shops, but if you don’t have them, small paper cups and wooden sticks work perfectly well, too.Prep 10 min
Cook 15 min, plus cooling
Freeze 6 hr+
Makes 10-12For the base syrup70g caster sugarFor the pineapple, lime and ginger paletas600g fresh pineapple flesh, cut into chunks, plus 70g finely diced into 5-7mm pieces1 quantity base syrup (see above)1 tbsp lime juice20g fresh ginger, finely gratedPinch of fine sea saltFor the mango and Tajín paletas500g ripe mango flesh, cut into chunks, plus 70g finely diced into 5–7mm pieces1 quantity base syrup (see above)
