Add A Spicy Kick To Watermelon With A Drizzle Of This Condiment

While watermelon may be delicious on its own, no small number of folks love a bit of kick with their fruit. Whether they give it a savory twist with Tajín, a generous helping of mustard, or just a sprinkle of black pepper, a bit of spice has a remarkable way of transforming a sweet, juicy bite into something complex. But if you want to add even more sweetness while you do so, there's nothing better than hot honey.

While it may be an unexpected way to use it in the kitchen, it makes perfect sense! Plenty of people like extra sugar with their fruit, but they don't want to sacrifice the naturally sweet profile with white sugar, so they use honey which can be as alive and nuanced as any wine or cheese. Sugar bonds with capsaicin so it's not quite as abrasive on the tongue, letting you experience the full range of chili flavors without creating a volatile snack. Plus, since the heat is a bit subdued, you can add even more of the mixture to bump up the flavor.

While this is an easy food to throw together, it also comes with a surprising amount of variety. Whether you use yellow or red watermelon, jalapeño or scotch bonnet or even ghost pepper honey, there's a deep world of flavor combinations to explore. Between the stickiness of honey and the wetness of the fruit, the two together make it even easier to augment your recipe with other classic seasonings.

The type of hot honey you use largely comes down to how much you want to drizzle. If, for example, you want a snack that's heavier on the sweetness, be sure to opt for a variety that uses less spicy peppers. If, however, you're only looking for a tiny dab, feel free to crank up the heat with the spiciest type you can find.

If you want serious flavor from the honey, try to find a brand that makes their product by simply soaking peppers in the honey. This lets you get raw honey, which retains more natural pollen, enzymes, and other particulates that make it taste far more complex. Other brands simmer their combination to make the flavors meld faster, and while they'll still taste amazing, this is similar to the pasteurization process most commercial brands use, which can blunt the flavor a bit. You can even make your own at home with your favorite hot sauce or leftover pepper flakes, all without touching the stove.

Most brands you buy at the store use either clover or wildflower to make their honey, giving it a well-rounded, floral bouquet that works with most anything. However, if you only use this for watermelon, consider pairing it with something a bit fruitier like orange blossom honey. While it won't have the tang of the fruit, it holds a ton of the same citrusy, tropical flavor that works perfectly with both spicy peppers and watermelon.