Dani of Dani’s Spooky Treats is Not Your Average Witch
Everything Dani Castrejon-Masumoto sells looks like it’s covered in blood. Which is perfect when you’re vending at a place like The Halloween Night Market, and other spooky community events. With so many intriguing vendors around, her table demands attention; The candies are on a decorative display with a jack-o’lantern on the right and left front corners, and one in the middle for Dani to stand behind. In between the jack-o’lanterns on the corners are Halloween string lights which feature eyeballs, pumpkins, and skulls. On the very front of the table, she had samples of her Wicked Watermelon, which are watermelon gummies covered in her homemade, traditional Chamoy.
It was unlike anything I had ever tasted. Granted I was smart enough to get two boxes of gummies, but they graced my lips and left me far too soon. And once it left, I could not stop thinking about it.
Her sauce is thick and it varies in texture. Dipping a fork into her Devil’s Dip Chamoy Rim Dip feels like a sin, especially since once you put it in your mouth you’re happy you did it. The first thing you notice is the smell; salty and citrusy. The fibers of the fruit show themselves on the fork, on the candies, and on your teeth. One of the best things about this Chamoy is the texture, the way you get to chew the fruit as you’re enjoying the sour, salty, sweet, and spicy flavors.
Dani’s Spooky Treats is an East LA business that sells Chamoy rim dips, Chamoy covered gummies, and tamarind apples. Launched February 2021, Dani’s Spooky Treats already has an Instagram following of nearly 3k and a loyal client base.
Dani makes real deal, traditional Chamoy. Until she was married, Dani didn’t know of the origins. Her mother-in-law, Marie, is a Japanese immigrant who used to work at the American Japanese museum in Los Angeles, where she now volunteers her time. Chamoy originated from a Japanese immigrant named Teikichi Iwadare, who settled in Mexico. Iwadare made umeboshi, which was “salted Japanese preserved plums”. “It’s technically an apricot, but they call it a plum,” Erik Masumoto, Dani’s husband and business partner told me. It was embraced by the Mexicans, and was later interpreted as the runny bright red sauce you find in your local supermercado.
Dani’s mother, Eva, made it when she was growing up. She didn’t call it Chamoy, she called it ‘spicy sauce’. Dani didn’t believe it was Chamoy, as she always thought of Chamoy as what came in the bottle from the factory. She fact-checked mom’s claim, and she wasn’t lying. ‘Spicy Sauce’ was a type of Chamoy.
As one can imagine, the business is very personal. Before launching the business, the product was approved by Dani’s mother, Erik’s mother, and other family members- even the kids love it. Like most small business owners, especially ones like Dani’s who are under a year old, family and work aren’t that divided. When there’s an event, everyone goes. Just this past weekend, the Castrejon-Masumotos were vending at 2Cute2Spook Events’ “The Witch’s Alley” in downtown Pomona. Dani’s Instagram story featured her lovingly embracing her son and daughter.
Her black hair, crisp brows, long baddie lashes and pointy hat cue the customer to know that Dani is not your basic candy witch. The Dani’s Spooky Treats setup is a collaborative effort between Dani and Erik. Erik handles a lot of the PR and Behind the Scenes work, and Dani makes the product. “I base my candy off horror, spooky, anything- I love it.” She explained, “I know there’s like, a million people that make Chamoy… but I feel like I’m the only one who names her candies.” Wicked Watermelon, Mango Madness, and Psycho Pineapple are among the fitting names for the Gorey-looking gummies.
During our conversation, Dani said she never thought she’d be in a place like this. When she was younger, Dani thought about joining law enforcement, then she dropped out of high school. She revealed to me that the rest of her siblings also did not finish high school, which really disappointed their mother. The whole reason Eva Castrejon came here in the first place was to give her kids a chance to become something, but, as Dani feels, She and her siblings failed their mom. “I’m doing this (the business) for my family, as well as for myself… in the back of my head it's always my mom.”
“With this Chamoy, when I perfected it, and she was proud of me, She wished me the best of luck… In the beginning, we were all biting our fingers, wishing & praying that somebody, besides family get to taste my stuff… Even though I didn’t finish high school, this makes her happy.” Her mouth pulled up to a smile.
Much like the Chamoy, her favorite holiday is a direct result of her mother’s influence. A first-generation Mexican-American, Dani and her family grew up poor.Her mother loved Halloween and little Dani was never happier than in her “make-shift witch’s costume” on Halloween night. As an adult, her house is decorated with Halloween everything, featuring a Freddy Krueger glove, a Misfits mask, a large Krampus figure that would give even the nicest kid nightmares, and her Monster High Doll collection.
“… And I said to myself when I grow up, I’m gonna buy myself Barbies, and I’m going to collect them.” The doll collection was cited as one of the most important aspects of her spooky home setup. “Growing up, I never had none of this.” she told me, as she revealed the newest addition to her collection — The Beetlejuice Collaboration with Monster High. The set features two dolls, one a femme interpretation of Micheal Keaton’s iconic character and an interpretation of Lydia Deetz.
It’s something she gets to spend her money on. She gets to give that inner child the barbie dolls she never had. It’s a physical reminder that the hard work has paid off, whether it be working odd jobs or making Chamoy. I mean, when Love, Pain, and Stitches are saving you their coveted handbags, buying your product, and raving about it to their 156k Instagram following, it’s a pretty good indicator you’ve made something of yourself. That there is something special in this family tradition, and everyone else might agree. They just have it try it.
