Mekayla Booysen immigrated to America six years ago from South Africa. At the tender age of 22, she bravely left her family, friends and home country to seek an education. She eventually found herself in Colorado Springs, where she felt an immediate connection to the mountains, the weather and the city.
Tragedy Struck
In 2022, Booysen was involved in a terrible accident near downtown. She was riding an electric scooter and was hit by a car that fled the scene. She was left with injuries to her head, teeth and body. The medical bills piled up and she found herself wondering how she would ever pay for it all.
“I already had a couple of jobs just to make ends meet,” Booysen says. “I found myself trying to come up with a side gig that could help offset some of my medical bills. One day, I saw something on the Internet about a Chinese candy called Tanghulu. I googled a recipe, bought some ingredients, and to my surprise, it turned out pretty good. I gave some to my friends and they loved it!”
Perfecting the Recipe
Candy making can be temperamental. The temperature, humidity and altitude all affect the recipe. Luckily, Booysen comes from a culinary household. Her mother is a chef and her grandmother is a baker. It seems that Booysen inherited those culinarian genes because she has developed three separate candy recipes to battle the elements.
“I have seasonal recipes,” she says. “One for the heat, one for the cold, and one for moderate weather. I have also perfected my candy coating to be thin and crunchy without getting stuck in your teeth.”
Frozen Candied Fruit
Tanghulu is fruit that has been skewered and dipped in a clear candy coating. Booysen took this idea and let her creative juices flow. Inspired by carbonated beverages, she began producing different flavor combinations of fruit, flavoring and texture.
“I just started experimenting with various fruits paired with my flavored candy coating. Then I added crushed candy pieces on the outside for even more texture and flavor,” she says. “I also keep my candied fruit frozen because it has a better texture and keeps the coating nice and crunchy. I have always loved cold treats and these are just delicious.”
Viral Sensation
This candy innovation has taken Colorado by storm and word has reached as far as both coasts! Booysen loves recording the reactions of her customers as they try her candy for the first time. She posts these reactions on her social media to advertise just how happy her candy makes people. These genuine reactions to her creations have gone viral. She went from about 1600 followers to more than 25,000 followers in just a few short months.
“I now have people come from other states to sample and purchase my candy,” Booysen says. “My orders have definitely increased, and now I am in the process of designing my packaging to ship. It happened so fast and I now I find myself looking for reliable employees to help with fulfilling orders and to meet the needs of my customers.”
Future Endeavors
When asked what the future holds for Sugar Mama’s Candy, Booysen says a brick-and-mortar storefront is definitely something she is working towards. In the meantime, she is addressing cost-effective shipping options as well as developing some sugar-free options to make her candy more inclusive to special diets.
Website: https://sugarmamascandycos.square.site/
Instagram + Facebook: @SugarMamasCandy_Cos