Tajín
A Mexican dusting of mild chilli, dried lime and salt, sprinkled on fruit, cucumber and corn.
Also: chile limón, chamoy and tajin, Mexican chilli-lime
Tajín is a brand name that has become a category: a powder of dried mild chillies, dehydrated lime and salt, created in Jalisco in 1985 by Horacio Fernández. Mexican street vendors dust it on mango, watermelon, jicama, cucumber, pineapple and elote, and rim cocktail glasses. The mix hits the three tastes Mexican snackers love: salty, sour and mild heat. It shows how spice blends enter everyday life without much cooking, much as chaat masala does in India. Chamoy, a salty-sour sauce of dried fruit and chilli, often accompanies it. Similar blends exist across Latin America, using local chillies and citrus.