Sugary Sweets from Two Salt Lake Mavericks

Can anyone say no to a sweet treat? Especially around the winter holidays, a delectable, sugary confection can tell your loved ones you’re thinking of them, bridge the awkward gap with that one coworker or fill a last-minute Secret Santa need. The Salt Lake valley is full of wildly talented artisans who approach the art of candy creation with deft skill. Here, find two distinct, accomplished and contrasting offerings—the renowned cocoa creations of The Chocolate Conspiracy and the spicy sweets of Lenguitas Chamoy.

The Chocolate Conspiracy

AJ Wentworth has been crafting and peddling fine chocolates since 2009, a time full of shifts in location, focus and product lines. After a few bouts of unexpected moves during the COVID-19 pandemic (including from their longtime location on 900 S.), The Chocolate Conspiracy was in a place of redefinition. “We were able to cut down and focus on what we do best, and that was the bars we make,” Wentworth says of their period of tumult. “We didn’t have to make hot chocolate or tea or coffee; we weren’t customizing truffle boxes for people.”

Wentworth describes this move as a “blessing in disguise” in that it allowed The Chocolate Conspiracy to “rethink how we wanted to approach where we were going,” he says. After years of expanding product lines, participating in events and more, the company pared down their stock to their five-bar “core, signature line”—Classic Dark, Mint Chip, Blackberry Ginger, Maca and Wild Spice. Wentworth has since added back six other favorite bars—including two beer-infused bars using beers from Uinta Brewing Co. and Level Crossing Brewing Co.—as well as the company’s coveted drinking chocolate.

Now, The Chocolate Conspiracy is weeks away from opening their new brick and mortar on S. Redwood Road. “We’re happy that we can open the door to the public again,” says Wentworth. When they open, Wentworth hopes to host a “chocolate free for all” where customers can sample all of The Chocolate Conspiracy’s current line. Find more information at eatchocolateconspiracy.com and follow the business on Instagram @chococonspiracy.

Lenguitas Chamoy

Lenguitas Chamoy’s Analee Camacho fell into her business by way of a pandemic whim. “My husband has a love for Mexican spicy candy,” she says, and Lenguitas Chamoy began as a way to replicate some of his favorite flavors at home. His passion for the final product urged Camacho to share the sweets with family, then friends, before she eventually opened an online shop and began exhibiting at local pop-up markets. “Everybody loved it,” says Camacho of the first trial run within her close circles. “If everybody’s liking this, I’m sure everybody else would!”

Lenguitas Chamoy’s candy is defined by its unique, homemade coating and spice blend, a mix of traditional chamoy seasonings like Tajín along with a litany of other flavors to add Camacho’s personal stamp to the mix. From there, she applies the blend to dried fruits, premade candies (Airheads, Gushers), nuts and more. Depending on the consistency and flavor of the vessel, Camacho varies the mix of dry and wet spice blends, honing in on a specific mixture for each candy to ensure the base treats retain their identity.

“I wish we could grow to … have a small location somewhere, for someone to be able to say, ‘Oh, I’m craving some Lenguitas Chamoy, let’s go pick some up.’”

The rapid growth Camacho has achieved in the time since first experimenting with chamoy signals a hunger in Salt Lake City for this type of homemade delight, and Camacho hopes to carry that goodwill further. “I wish we could grow to … have a small location somewhere, for someone to be able to say, ‘Oh, I’m craving some Lenguitas Chamoy, let’s go pick some up.’” For now, purchase Camacho’s candy at lenguitaschamoy.com, and follow the business on Instagram @lenguitaschamoy for more.

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