Forget Tajín: Shake A Little Of This Flavorful Seasoning Onto Watermelon

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When it comes to making flavor pop from sweet to savory, with even a little bitterness tossed in to really keep the taste buds engaged, Mexican food has what it takes to hit all the flavor zones. Take your traditional Mexican mole sauce — it might be hard to imagine leaning into chocolate for something that often goes atop chicken or a piece of pork, but with all the nuance, it totally makes sense in Mexico. Or think of the famous packaged Tajín, a classic salty, spicy, tangy Mexican powdered condiment that can be dusted on just about anything, from popcorn to the rim of a margarita, or even to add more kick to your soft drinks. But Tajín is, perhaps, especially beloved on sweet, refreshing fruits (as demonstrated on the streets of Mexico), like watermelon and mango. The salt, chile, and lime in Tajín can raise the flavor quotient considerably, but so can a common American powdered condiment with a slightly different flavor profile: Lawry's Seasoned Salt.

Lawry's is a classic, used primarily as a seasoning for poultry and meat, though in my household we've enjoyed it on popcorn for decades. We just never thought to use it on watermelon. It might seem out of left field for this kind of salt-and-spice mixture to take your fresh watermelon to the next level, but a little Lawry's will bring out the fruity sweetness in a whole new way.

When adding Lawry's to watermelon, the easy-to-use shaker is key. Sprinkle a little on to see what you think. While it's still mostly salt, its sugar and spices go deeper into the savory flavors than the ground chile peppers that are the base of Tajín, giving it a hotter spice. Although not particularly spicy, if you don't like the chile heat, that's one reason to try Lawry's over Tajín. It uses paprika, celery seed, turmeric, onion, and garlic, so you're getting more of a barbecue flavor, but it works surprisingly well. While this may sound a little strange on a slice of watermelon, Lawry's is more of a barbecue potato chip, while Tajín is closer to a spicy lime corn chip. It's like the depth of a smoky pulled pork on a chilled piece of watermelon.

Like Tajín, Lawry's can also be a nice addition to cut veggies, or on a cucumber and tomato salad with feta cheese. (You can go a little sweeter by adding watermelon to the salad.) And if you still can't pick a favorite and want to experience the full flavor spectrum, cube watermelon (with or without cucumber), sprinkle on some Lawry's and Tajín, and add a squeeze of lime for a treat that will impress everyone. It might just be the perfect spice combo to keep guests guessing how you put it together.