The Unexpected Trader Joe's Seasoning To Sprinkle On Your Ice Cream

Trader Joe's is known for its low prices — especially on their wine, lovingly referred to as two-buck Chuck — and their proprietary products that boast a cult following. Fans of TJ's love to come up with all sorts of hacks using their prepared products and can't seem to get enough of their innovative seasonings. 

A recent episode of Trader Joe's podcast, "Inside Trader Joe's," focused on hacks from some of the stores' crew members, one of whom suggested a unique flavor combination using a popular seasoning. On episode 49, titled "Trader Joe's Trips the Light Hacktastic," podcasters Matt Sloan and Tara Miller, who introduced themselves as " the marketing product guy" and "director of words and phrases and clauses here at Trader Joe's" respectively, discussed suggestions for elevating simple foods like vanilla cake mix, cups of yogurt, and eventually, ice cream.

"We did get a bunch of other dessert hacks. One that I thought was really, really cool is sprinkling Chili Lime Seasoning on vanilla ice cream. That one, interestingly, also came from a crew member in Woodbury, Minnesota store 715. That crew member's name is Jenny," Miller said.

Trader Joe's Chile Lime Seasoning is a mix of sea salt, chile pepper, red bell pepper, lime juice powder, citric acid, and rice concentrate. Inspired by a spice that is dusted on fruits and vegetables by Mexican vendors to create the street snack Fruta con chile y Limón, the seasoning is simultaneously zesty and somewhat spicy.

TJ's recommends using the spice on fruit as well as potatoes, tacos, and eggs — or even rimming cocktail glasses with it. Enthusiastic Amazon reviewers recommend sprinkling it on anything from salmon and chicken to cornbread, salads, and avocados. Meanwhile, there's certainly no shortage of suggestions from both the blogger and the commenters of a review of the spice on What's Good at Trader Joe's, including popcorn, pineapple, and pork.

Savory foods seem to be popular canvases on which to sprinkle the Tajín-like spice but some sweet fruits like mangos and watermelon are mentioned in reviews as well as on Trader Joe's site. However, there's little, if any, mention of ice cream. So is this dessert hack worth a try?

The pairing of sweetness with spice is a classic combination. Insider points to known favorites like hot pepper jelly, Mexican hot chocolate, and Thai chile sauce as examples of popular pairings. Food scientist Brittany Towers explained why chile peppers (which derive their heat from capsaicin) and sugar work so well together. "Fat helps wash the capsaicin away, but did you also know sugars can help tame some of that heat as well? By coating your tongue, sugars can help tame some of that spiciness leading to a balancing of flavors and help people tolerate spicy foods better," she told Insider.

Meanwhile, Le Cordon Bleu notes that sugars can be used to reduce spiciness, which indicates that ice cream and chile peppers could certainly be a balanced pairing. The institute also notes that bitterness (like the lime in the Chile Lime Seasoning) works well with ingredients that are rich and sweet.

As for vanilla, Slofoodgroup suggests it's a perfect pairing for citrus. Vanilla rounds out the acidity of oranges, lemons, and limes while also bringing out its sweetness.

While it seems likely that crew member Jenny had already personally tried her recommended hack, food science supports this unexpected spicy, citrusy pairing.