This Pop-Tarts x Tajín Review Reveals An Unlikely Pairing

In Elite Daily's series Chef's Kiss, we taste the latest food and drink trends to help you figure out which ones you definitely don’t want to sleep on. In this piece, we taste the new Pop-Tarts x Tajín collab.

Everyone loves an unlikely pairing: dogs and cats, Leos and Aquarians, and now — Pop-Tarts and Tajín. The pastry company announced its new collab with the Mexican condiment brand on Oct. 20, and though it seems surprising, this sweet and spicy combo has the potential to become your new fave unexpected match. Don’t believe me? I tried the Pop-Tarts x Tajín collab for myself, and this review breaks down everything you can expect from the collaboration, so you can prep your taste buds for the jarring yet enjoyable snacking experience.

Whether you prefer your Pop-Tarts toasted or straight out the wrapper, the Pop-Tarts x Tajín collab has something for everyone — well, if you like your bites with some spice, that is. If you’re unfamiliar with the condiment brand, Tajín’s sauces and seasonings contain a spicy mix of mild chili peppers, lime, and sea salt, and are meant to be enjoyed with your favorite fruits, vegetables, snacks, and other sweet treats. If a whole Pop-Tart made with Tajín sounds like more spice than your tongue can handle, don’t worry, because the mashup kit has three fruit Pop-Tart flavors, Strawberry, Wild Berry, and Peach Cobbler, and two spiced-out Tajín condiments, the Clásico Seasoning, and the Fruity Chamoy Hot Sauce.

I got an early preview of the flavorful collab, and the unlikely combo pairs a lot better than you’d think.

Strawberry Pop-Tarts x Tajín Review

The very first thing I noticed was that the Clásico Seasoning has an orangey-red color to it, while the Fruity Chamoy Hot Sauce is more of a deep brown. So imagine my surprise when I poured the hot sauce onto the Pop-Tart, and I was hit with the overwhelming scent of apricot. No spice, just apricots.

I took my first bite, and although it didn’t look all that appetizing, the mix of strawberry and apricots made for a perfectly sweet combo. The spice was barely noticeable, only coming through in the end.

Once the spice had come through, I lost the apricot flavor completely, but something about it worked for me. I wouldn’t necessarily put the two together more than once in a blue moon, but the pairing certainly didn’t make me want to rinse my mouth out with mouthwash, either.

I added the seasoning on top, and I was less impressed. The flavor of the hot sauce was completely overshadowed by the taste of chili peppers, and I couldn’t really identify a similarity between the flavors of the Pop-Tart and the seasoning.

Wild Berry Pop-Tarts x Tajín Review

I decided to try the spicy condiments on a toasted Pop-Tart next, and once again the apricot aroma was the only scent that came through.

The spices definitely hit me faster this time around than they did with the Strawberry Pop-Tart. The bites where the hot sauce was the strongest flavor didn’t bother me so much (it tasted like I was eating hot sauce on a piece of bread, TBH), but I didn’t enjoy it when the Wild Berry and the hot sauce came through equally. The two flavors don’t have much in common, and they don’t complement each other well, either.

Even though I thought the Pop-Tart and hot sauce didn’t mix, sprinkling the seasoning on top actually helped. The zesty flavors of the spice mixed with butter taste of the berry filling made for a pleasantly surprising combo that works better in execution than on paper.

Peach Cobbler Pop-Tarts x Tajín Review

Considering they share the same citrusy base, I had high hopes for the Peach Cobbler and hot sauce combo, and thankfully, those hopes were met. The spices were the first thing to hit my tongue, but as soon as I reached the peachy Pop-Tart center, the two flavors blended together to create a surprisingly refreshing mix of warm and cool.

To finish off the test taste, I pour some seasoning on top, and it seriously made the bite even more enjoyable. Something about the polar opposite flavors makes it just the right amount of wrong — as soon as I felt my tongue getting tired of the spice, the peachy flavor of the pastry took over, creating a perfect balance of sweet and savory. The flavors works so well together I can even see Starbucks coming out with a spicy peach latte coming at some point.

How To Get Pop-Tarts x Tajín

Think you’re up for the flavorful challenge? The Pop-Tarts x Tajín collab pack is available from Tuesday, Oct. 25 through Thursday, Oct. 27 via the Pop-Tarts Instagram store, which you can find in the account bio, and the Pop-Tarts x Tajín collab page on the Kellogg’s website. When the kits go on sale at noon ET on Tuesday, there will only be limited quantities available. So if your taste buds want to partake on the flavorful endeavor, you’re gonna want to act fast.

The Pop-Tarts x Tajín collab kits will run you $10. For three packs of Pop-Tarts and two bottles of Tajín condiments, that’s cheaper than if you tried to conduct the taste test on your own.

If you consider yourself to be an adventurous foodie, the Pop-Tarts x Tajín collab might be right up your alley. And if you still have your doubts, I recommend at least trying the Fruity Chamoy Hot Sauce with your favorite fruity Pop-Tart to start. You might be pleasantly surprised by the outcome — I know I was.