Skip The Chocolate And Dip Strawberries In Tajín Instead

Valentine's Day and other romantic occasions are the perfect moment to give sweet treats to those you love. One dessert that often gets passed around at these times is chocolate-covered strawberries.

While there's nothing wrong with sticking with this classic, you can also mix things up a little and try a new way of gifting this romantic fruit: By dipping it in Tajín. This Mexican seasoning – made of dehydrated lime, ground chili peppers, and sea salt — adds a slight kick to the fruit while also adding a more citrusy flavor. The result is a treat that's refreshing and bursting with flavor while also being easy to make.

While making this snack can be as simple as sprinkling a bit of Tajín over your strawberries, there are a few other ways to ramp up the flavor. Plus, if you fall in love with this combination, there are more fruits that pair well with this chili-lime seasoning.

When it comes to using Tajín on your strawberries, half the fun is using additional syrups and add-ons to boost the flavor. A simple way to do so is to squeeze a little lemon or lime juice over the fruit. This can really ramp up the citrusy taste of the Tajín while also helping the spice to stick to the fruit.

Besides lime juice, another option is to dip the strawberries in chamoy sauce first, then roll the fruit in Tajín. The chamoy — which is traditionally made of a variety of fruits, including plums, apricots, and mangos — plays on the sweet flavors of the strawberry. At the same time, it's a slightly spicy sauce that complements the kick of the Tajín.

Another option for enhancing your Tajín strawberries is to soak them in booze. To stick with the Mexican theme, tequila can work well here, but you can play around with other types of alcohol if you like. Just leave the fruit for a minimum of eight hours but no more than 24 hours to get the right amount of alcohol in it.

Strawberries aren't the only fruit that tastes great when prepared with some of this chili-lime spice. Other foods that taste great topped with Tajín include cubes of melon. Watermelon and honeydew are both light and watery, working great to balance out the spiciness of the condiment. Or cantaloupe can also work, adding a distinct flavor and floral notes to the mix.

Besides melon, citrusy and sour fruits also work well. Orange slices, for instance, can pair well with Tajín thanks to the lime in the seasoning. Or, for a slightly more tropical twist, use the spice atop pineapple pieces. Green mango can also be a good pick, adding sour notes that work well with the seasoning.

When pairing fruits with Tajín, the sky is the limit. You can experiment with berries, peaches, or even avocado to come up with a flavor combination that you love. And, of course, feel free to bust out the tequila or the chamoy in your endeavors.