La Michoacana Ice Cream Parlor is taking over Southern California one paleta at a time.

Since opening their first location January 2015 in Hemet, David Bermudez and his family have opened eight locations throughout the region, with three more expected to open before the end of the year.

With one in Cathedral City and one in Coachella, which opened in June, this ice cream shop is making its sweet way into the hearts of the Coachella Valley.

But what is it about La Michoacana that keeps valley residents and visitors going back? We tasted some of the Coachella location’s signature treats and did not go home disappointed.

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The Sandia Loca is ‘a party in your mouth’

La Michoacana’s Coachella location is decorated with bright pink-colored walls, big photos of some of their offerings and a television set.

Patrons then are introduced to the hundreds of varieties of ice creams, raspados (shaved ice treats), gazpachos (cold soups), and aguas frescas that the shop offers. However, nothing stands out as much as the “Sandia Loca” ($10).

The crazy watermelon is a typical Mexican concoction, mixing sweet, sour and salty flavors for a truly unique culinary experience.

“It just reminds me of something I would get somewhere down a beaten-down, old road in Mexico and just enjoying good times with either family or friends,” Bermudez said. “The flavor just spins you out of control in that you are just happy all of a sudden. It’s a party in your mouth.”

La Michoacana fills the end of a watermelon with jicama, cucumber, cueritios (pork skin), chaca chaca (tamarind candy), japanese peanuts and mangoes, and then mixes it all up with chamoy sauce, chile, salt, fresh lemon juice and other flavors. Like most things at the shop, however, the sandia loca recipe can be changed to the customer’s liking.

The dish serves three to five people, and you should still expect leftovers.

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Fresh ‘fresas con crema’, paired with ice cream… Yum

The fresas con crema dessert ($6), or strawberries and cream, is the closest thing to a yogurt parfait you can get at La Michoacana, but the freshness is the key to the sweet treat’s success.

Twenty to 30 packages of fresh strawberries arrive to the location every week for the dessert. The strawberries are served with a sweet cream made in-house, a dash of cinnamon and a choice of one scoop of the tons of ice cream options offered at the store.

And speaking of ice cream, you could get the typical flavors such as chocolate, vanilla or strawberry. Or you could try one of the unique combinations Bermudez and his family created for the shop.

One of the most unique is the 'cotija cheese ice cream.' A three-cheese ice cream blend of cotija cheese, panela cheese - a more coarse cheese - and cream cheese. You’d think a cheese-flavored ice cream would be a bizarre taste, but the sweetness of the ice cream and the cheesy taste provides a surprisingly delicious and unique taste.

You can get tasters while you’re choosing your ice cream, so at least promise you’ll give it a try.

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Paletas, paletas and more paletas

If there’s one thing that you should try at La Michoacana, it’s their paletas ($2 each).

Being the shop’s signature, Bermudez said patrons can pick from about 80 different varieties. Of those, about 35 are water-based and 44 are milk-based.

“The cool thing about them and the most unique part about them is that they’re handmade every day,“ Bermudez said. “There’s not a single day that paletas aren’t being made. So they’re replenished and they’re fresh.”

Patrons can pick simple flavors like lemon, strawberry and chocolate, or more out-of-the-box flavors like cappuccino and carrot cake.

The weirdest flavor? Bermudez said it's 'the passion fruit.'

“Passion fruit makes you pucker,” Bermudez said. “When they called it passion fruit, they should’ve said sour fruit. Cause it’s sour but tangy at the same time. But it really makes you pucker regardless of the season.”

As far as must-haves, Bermudez said the tiramisu and the carrot cake flavors cannot be missed.

“You can’t imagine that flavor on a popsicle and when you do, you’re like, oh my God, that is amazing. How you capture the essence into a popsicle.”

'Oh my God,' is right.

La Michoacana Ice Cream Parlor is located at 27765 Landau Blvd #106 in Cathedral City and 50249 Harrison Street, Ste E, in Coachella. For more information on both locations, follow La Michoacana on Facebook.

Jose Alejandro Bastidas is the food and drinks reporter and producer for The Desert Sun. You can reach him at Jose.Bastidas@DesertSun.com or on Twitter @jabastidas

IF YOU GO

La Michoacana Ice Cream Parlor

Cathedral City: 27765 Landau Blvd #106

Coachella: 50249 Harrison Street, Ste E

Hours: 10 a.m to 10 p.m. every day.

Follow La Michoacana Ice Cream Parlor on Facebook or follow them on Instagram @lamichoacana_cathedralcity