Alegría is a Mexican sweet made from popped amaranth seeds pressed together with honey or syrup.
Amaranth seeds are toasted or popped, then mixed with a binder such as honey or piloncillo syrup. The mixture is pressed into bars, rounds, or other shapes and allowed to set. Nuts, raisins, pumpkin seeds, or dried fruit may be added.
Alegría has roots in pre-Hispanic Mesoamerica, where amaranth was an important crop. The seeds were used as food and in ceremonial contexts. The modern candy preserves the grain's role in Mexican food culture while turning it into a portable sweet snack.
The name alegría means “joy” in Spanish. Alegría differs from mazapán, a crumbly candy usually made from peanuts or almonds, and from palanqueta, a nut brittle bound with caramelized sugar. Its defining ingredient is popped amaranth.