I happened to be passing by Mateo’s Ice Cream and Fruit Bars at the corner of Pico and Vermont in Los Angeles, and of course I never miss an opportunity to have a scoop of one of my favorite Mexican ice cream flavors. This time I went for the Tamarindo.

Tamarind is probably my favorite of the common aguas frescas because of that sweet and sour flavor that goes so well with spicy foods. What I got, though, was a huge surprise. The sour flavor came as a blast to my taste buds, then the sweetness came into play. But with an icy cold mouthful of familiar flavors, the last thing I expected was the heat of ground chile.

It took me a couple of spoonfuls to decide if I actually liked it, but then I was hooked. It was a really remarkable experience, and I can’t wait to do it again.