Salsagheti is an example of the whole being completely different from the sum of its parts. Combining the word salsa (“sauce”) with a misspelling of the latter half of the word spaghetti sounds like a marinara-slathered Italian noodle dish. It’s actually a heap of spicy Mexican candy straws.

These tubular, sour watermelon–flavored gummies are covered in fine chili-tamarind powder and crystals of sugar. A packet of tamarind sauce acts as the fruity spaghetti’s salsa. Candy critics warn that it “might look like gooey caramel” but the runny consistency is “more like a packaged turkey gravy.”

Unlike a traditional Italian dinner, Salsagheti is sweet, sour, and meant to be eaten without silverware. One taster lamented that pouring the tamarind packet on top of the chewy strands was too messy, but dipping the candy into a flat pool of sauce was no easy feat, either.

Unsurprisingly, kids across Mexico appreciate this sticky, messy, interactive flavor-punch to the face. Salsagheti isn’t just popular at birthday parties, celebrations, and school events—adults love the intense, zingy flavor combination, too. One chef even went so far as to concoct a dish made from Salsagheti, various fruits, cucumber, peanuts, chamoy, Tajín, and four other types of Mexican candy. It may not be conventional, but it is one way to incorporate Salsagheti into a balanced meal.