Sweet memories: how European nuns, natives and candy combined to build a Mexican tradition.

Morelia, capital of the central Mexican state of Michoacan, bears a striking resemblance to 16th century Spain. But just one of its buildings truly takes the visitor back in time, the Museo del Dulce candy museum, which in its two ma)or exhibits takes one back through Mexican history, to the viceroys of the Spanish conquest and from 1876 to 1911 under Porfirio Diaz, a strong admirer of France and a man who brought a great deal of European influence to Mexico.

Mexican candies, all 300 varieties of them, have evolved from recipes introduced by nuns who came here to evangelize, influencing even today foods produced and sold at the industrial level. Candies made in the convents came into popularity during the early days of Spanish conquest, like fruits covered with sugar to those made with preservatives and rompope, a drink made from milk, eggs, sugar and alcohol.

Step forward in time to the days of Porfirio Diaz and pastries influenced by the French with names such as Limantour or Juana Cata, the latter being an allusion to Diaz' lover, begin to appear. "The first thing that tourists appreciate is the knowledge they gain during the tour of centuries past through pictures, production models and the ambience," says Deborah Lopez, a Michoacan tour guide.

The privately owned Museo del Dulce is the only candy maker of its kind in Mexico. "We opened up to the public about two years ago with the idea of not only recreating atmospheres and tastes but also to let new generations get to know us as well, both national and foreign tourists," says Artemisa Sanchez, the museum's promoter. "We hope they visit us a lot, and that the place surprises them."

Originally christened as Valladolid, Morelia, now a city of more than 1.2 million, was founded in 1541 by D. Antonio de Mendoza, the viceroy of what was then called New Spain. Before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors, indigenous people are sweets made from honey, a Mexican grain called amaranth, and from pumpkin seeds. The Spaniards brought new ingredients, such as sugar, milk and eggs, changing the way treats would be made forever.

European nuns played a part in changing the hemisphere's cuisine by combining pre-Hispanic ingredients with those shipped in from Europe. In the convents, the religious prepared succulent feasts to serve to viceroys and archbishops of the time. Las Dominicas, an order of nuns that came to spread Christianity, brought new tastes in cooking and candy-making to old Valladolid. "They were the ones that told some of the families of their know-how with sweets, and that was how some of the first homemade candy factories and candy shops came into being," says Sanchez.

Inside the Museo del Dulce, the story is told through candies and drinks from both time periods. The building is divided into four sections: The museum, which tells the story of Michoacan's candy industry but also contains a kitchen where a chef prepares sweets for the guests; a French-style cafeteria that serves 50 types of pastries; a chocolate factory; and a store where a wide variety of sweets are sold, many of them accurate to the two major periods covered by the museum. Local artwork and fruit liquors are also for sale. Samples from the kitchen are passed around freely among foreign visitors in order to introduce unusual local flavors and perhaps encourage a purchase from the shop, says Guadalupe Calvillo, Museo del Dulce manager.

Local flavor. Founded in 1840 as a candy business, the Museo del Dulce has remained mostly unknown to Morelia's locals, but hopefully that will change, says Calvillo. "We are working hard so that Morelians get to know it so that the flow of visitors continues to rise, considering that we are in the business of selling sweets," says Calvillo. "We don't make anything off the museum because entrance is free."

Perhaps it's the ambiance that teaches history best. Take a seat in one of the fine chairs in the cafeteria while you wait for your hot chocolate, and a woman dressed in traditional French togs shows up to join you. The young man at the register behind an antique counter sports a thin moustache and an elegant beret. It's all designed take you back in time. If all you want is to run into the shop to buy some candies of art, a nun at the cash register will take care of you. It seems like you are checking out of a convent.

Tourists say they have fallen in love with the museum. "Morelia is a very lovely place and it looks like many Spanish cities, yet the difference is that many traditions have been kept alive here," says Xavier Genove, visiting from Spain. "The museum seems to be the best way of getting to know the authentic history of this place."