# Palapa Azul

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**Palapa Azul** is a [frozen desserts](/source/Frozen_dessert) company based in [Los Angeles, California](/source/Los_Angeles,_California). The company, founded in 2002 by [Mexico City](/source/Mexico_City) natives Michel Algazi and Roni Goldberg, produces [Mexican](/source/Mexico)-style [ice cream](/source/Ice_cream), [sorbet](/source/Sorbet), and frozen fruit bars that are sold in retail stores throughout the [United States](/source/United_States). Palapa Azul is also a member of [NASFT](/source/Specialty_Food_Association) (National Association of the Specialty Food Trade).[1]

The Mexican emphasis results in marketing flavors that are not commonly found in mainstream American frozen desserts, such as [sweet corn](/source/Sweet_corn)[2] ice cream and [hibiscus flower](/source/Roselle_(plant)) (*Jamaica*) sorbet, as well as Mexican versions of common flavors, such as *cajeta*, a Mexican [goat milk](/source/Goat_milk)-based caramel[3] — often used for *[dulce de leche](/source/Dulce_de_leche)* — and [Mexican chocolate](/source/Chocolate),[3] which is spiced with [cinnamon](/source/Cinnamon). The frozen fruit bars, which in 2004 were the first products launched by the company, include cucumber-[chile](/source/Chili_pepper) and [mango](/source/Mango)-chile mixtures along with single-flavor bars in Mexican [papaya](/source/Papaya), [strawberry](/source/Strawberry), mango, [watermelon](/source/Watermelon), [cantaloupe](/source/Cantaloupe), [grapefruit](/source/Grapefruit) and [pineapple](/source/Pineapple). The company's founders have said that during their initial one-on-one product research in California [farmer's markets](/source/Farmer's_market), they found gender-based differences in flavor preferences: "Women would say, 'You have mango-chile? Interesting! I'd like to try that.' Men would say, 'You have mango-chile. Interesting! I'd like strawberry.' ... We could offer two dozen flavors, and still most men would want strawberry."[4] Tested flavors that have not been introduced to date include [prickly pear](/source/Opuntia), [plum](/source/Plum) and [kiwi](/source/Kiwifruit).[4]

The fruit bars were introduced at the [Winter International Fancy Food Show](/source/NASFT), a trade show for the [foodservice](/source/Foodservice) industry, in January 2004, where the product was named "Best of Show" by several top retailers and media outlets.[5] The ice cream and sorbet products were introduced in June 2005.[3]

## See also

- [List of frozen dessert brands](/source/List_of_frozen_dessert_brands)

## Notes

1. ["Palapa Azul's Success Rooted in One of Mexico's Most Flavorful and Refreshing Traditions"](https://www.restaurantnewsresource.com/article16245.html). *www.restaurantnewsresource.com*. Retrieved 2020-09-15.

1. (No author.) "Latin finds," *Time*, October 3, 2005, 166:14, page 95.

1. Ron Givens. "Comidas latinas," *Newsweek*, 146:6 (August 8, 2005), page 59.

1. [Play It Cool: Testing, planning, and patience put our fruit bars on the right path.](https://web.archive.org/web/20060318005911/http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fsb/fsb_archive/2005/10/01/8357521/index.htm) by Michel Algazi, *FORTUNE Small Business*, October 1, 2005, volume 15, number 8, page 87. Retrieved Oct. 28, 2006.

1. [Palapa Azul Announces the Newest Additions to the Product Line](http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/newsbyid.asp?id=22672) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20051129013311/http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/newsbyid.asp?id=22672) 2005-11-29 at the Wayback Machine, *Hispanic Business* Online

## External links

- [Palapa Azul](http://www.palapaazul.com/) (official site)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Palapa Azul](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palapa_Azul) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palapa_Azul?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.