Bus Stop Paletas

leche paletas
leche paletas

During the punishing Austin heat last summer I was fortunate enough to have a taco cart near my bus stop that sold handmade paletas for a buck each. I would arrive at the bus stop fifteen minutes before the 338 arrived with two bucks in my hand. One buck for the bus, and another to indulge myself with paleta.

chocolate paleta
chocolate paleta

I would hold the cold plastic sacks in my fists the way a northerner would hold a mug of hot chocolate on a cold day. Then I would bite a hole in a corner of that hand-tied bag and suck out the slush. If I sucked furiously, I would usually be able to finish the whole thing before the bus arrived.

Grape paleta

At one point I tried all the different flavors. The proprietress made leche, chocolate (which was spiced with a little bit of chili), lemon, and grape. I think leche and chocolate tied for my favorite.

But now I no longer use that bus stop, and the taco cart has moved to somewhere else, I know not where. But while you’re out and about, keep an eye open for a cart that has a sign in the window that says “Helados”.

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