Texas Border Business
H-E-B Quest for Texas Best is back for the ninth year in search of the most creative, mouthwatering Texas-made food and beverages as well as home goods, beauty products, and more. This year’s search generated a delicious mix from coffee, cleaners, and confections, to salsas, salamis, and seasonings from across the Lone Star State. After reviewing more than 564 products, 10 finalists were selected out of more than 500 entrepreneurs from Texas.
TWO Rio Grande Valley-area finalists will showcase their product on August 23rd-24th before a panel of judges to stake a winning claim in the ninth annual competition.
Annie Leal, Founder of I Love Chamoy and The Sweet Blvd’s Nadia Escalante and Manual Alvarez will go head-to-head against the other finalists moving one step closer to claiming a combined $70,000 in cash prizes and sought-after space on H-E-B shelves companywide.
I Love Chamoy – Sugar Free Chamoy
by Annie Leal | McAllen, TX
Chamoy was a staple of Annie Leal’s childhood growing up in Mexico. It made everything sweet and spicy and gave things like fruits and veggies the flavor of Mexican candy. When her dad was diagnosed with diabetes and could no longer enjoy this delicious Mexican sauce, she made it her mission to make this traditional staple of Mexican candy more accessible to people with different dietary needs. After spending months testing recipes and ingredients, she created the perfect sweet, tangy, and spicy chamoy – with no added sugar (since it’s sweetened with monk fruit) or artificial dyes and with 40-80% lesssodium than most chamoys on the market. I Love Chamoy is delicious with fruits, vegetables, aguas frescas, seltzers, and more.
The Sweet Blvd – Japanese Cotton Cheesecake
by Nadia Escalante & Manual Alvarez | Brownsville, TX
Husband and wife, Nadia Escalante and Manuel Alvarez, were searching for the famous Japanese Cotton Cheesecake but when they could not find it in Brownsville, they decided to create their own. In September of 2019 they started The Sweet Blvd creating Japanese Cotton Cheesecake with a Texas twist. The Sweet Blvd’s cheesecake is a combination of a French soufflé and an American Cheesecake with an airy texture, delicate, slightly moist taste, and soft as if you were eating cotton – a heavenly taste in your mouth. Since bringing the dessert to light, the company has created a loyal customer base.
