The Atlas Obscura Podcast Coqui Snacks
Nov 29, 2025
Dorimar Mercado, the Puerto Rican-born founder of Coqui Snacks, shares her journey from business journalist to snack shop owner in Kissimmee, Florida. She dives into the vibrant Latin food scene, emphasizing the nostalgic design of her shop. Discover the intriguing connection between the limber popsicle and Charles Lindbergh, the homemade origins of limbers, and how she creatively expands traditional flavors. Dorimar also reflects on passing down Puerto Rican culinary traditions to her daughters, celebrating the rich cultural fabric of her community.
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Coquí Sound Evokes Home
- Dorimar Mercado plays the coquí frog sound outside Coquí Snacks to evoke Puerto Rican homes and memories.
- Customers sit on rocking chairs, hear the coquí, and sometimes cry from nostalgia.
Limber's Surprising Name Origin
- The Puerto Rican popsicle called a limber likely got its name from Charles Lindbergh's 1928 visit and his perceived coldness or the hot day he arrived.
- Either origin ties a local food memory to a global historical figure.
Grandmother's Backyard Coconuts
- Dorimar remembers getting coconut limbers from her grandmother who would throw rocks at coconuts in the backyard.
- Those fresh backyard coconuts became the basis for her childhood limber flavors.