trader joe’s: yay/nay/meh 2022

I couldn’t figure it out. Tried to use it like honey on toast and like maple syrup on pancakes. The texture wasn’t right with pancakes I thought, flavor was too assertive on toast. I wish the flavor was “fresher”, for lack of a better word.

I know it’s used as an ingredient in some Middle Eastern cooking.

Haven’t been to TJ’s in a couple of years now but happened to buy some date syrup at a Turkish mart (much, much closer to me) last week. 12 oz, pdt of Belgium, Deglet Nour dates from Algeria??? Sound familiar???

Excellent with plain yogurt, labneh, vanilla ice cream. Haven’t made my own pancakes or waffles in years but I thought a couple of drops would be good on Ikea’s pankakor or TJ’s silver dollar pancakes, maybe on biscuits. I suspect like Grade B (concentrated) maple syrup, it has to be used sparingly.

I think I’ve had a drizzle of it on fattouch at a Middle Eastern cafe and I remember an Indo-Pak vegetarian snack shop where I was told one of the chutneys on their dahi puri was date/tamarind.

I definitely like it better than agave.

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thanks @bmorecupcake for your experiences with the date syrup, everything you say about it makes sense. But maybe there is a “right” application for it out there… Per @CaitlinM, maybe it might add a flavor note to a Middle Eastern dish, or as @brucesw said, might be good with vanilla ice cream.

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Yes! I can add it to tamarind chutney. Thanks.

EYB has over 5,000 recipes that use it.

Plenty, though probably far fewer than 5K, as after EYB exhausts returns with all terms, it shows hits with one or. another of the terms.

https://www.eatyourbooks.com/library/recipes?q=Date%20syrup

You’re right, I forgot it would turn into anything with ‘date’ or ‘syrup’. Oh well.

Search for “silan” — it’s widely used through the Middle East.

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Aha, I was given a packet of silan granola once. Now I know why I liked the flavor so much: date syrup.

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The Portuguese tarts in the freezer are :boom:

The rack of lamb is a favorite, too.

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To me it tastes like a mild molasses. I put some in oatmeal which was fine but not in any way special. I might try using it in a glaze I make for lamb and fig skewers. I usually use fig or apricot preserves in the glaze but might sub some of the date syrup for the preserves. I don’t see myself buying it again.

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An annual Trader Joe’s thread? :face_with_raised_eyebrow:

I don’t recall what I said in 2021 but it probably was along the lines I was curious over what makes them so attractive to loyal customers. I think I’ve visited one once maybe twice and wasn’t sufficiently thrilled to return. Part of that reason is their scarcity to this area. If there were more available I still don’t see them replacing my normal grocery market…but perhaps. Since it’s a new year and new thread I will seek out another visit.

I’m that sad person who can’t tolerate caffeine. I don’t love the taste of coffee, so I don’t drink a lot of it, but when I do it has to be decaf, and since I don’t drink a lot, I don’t bother with fancy. I usually just go with Folgers instant, so take this with review with that knowledge in mind. I was thrilled to see French Roast Instant Decaf at TJs last week. But I have to say, I’m not loving it. Maybe it will grow on me. Maybe for people who love coffee, this is IT. Not me though.

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We love TJs but they most definitely Will never replace our regular market (Harris Teeter). Not big enough. I go every few weeks.

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They don’t replace the grocery store but they are great for some things. Their cheeses are less expensive and a greater variety than my regular grocer. Nuts are a much better buy as well as butter, peanut butter, water crackers, maple syrup. I buy all my dried pasta there and sauce if I’m just going to doctor up jarred. Addicted to their lemon/raspberry yogurt. At Christmas they have items only available then. Always buy lebkuchen cookies, there for a short time and Christmas Ale.
What I am not crazy about is most frozen ‘dishes’ I have tried. They carry a lot more items than they did when I started going 30 years ago. There are a few items they discontinued that I loved, darn it.

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My wife adores TJ’s (Portland, Maine) She’d go every week when we lived a 10-15 min walk away. Now it’s a 15 min cab/lyft or hour by bus.

2 yay’s:

1: Trader Joe’s French Vanilla Ice Cream– and 1/2 gallon IS STILL a 1/2 gallon!! typically $6-ish YAY!

  1. Trader Joe’s Medium Roast ground Coffee16oz! for $3.99. Another example for me of a first impression informing my opinion forever after. It was an epiphany! One of best cups of coffee I’ve ever had. YAY!!! Note, ymmv. 3 or 4 times now, we got a dud bag-- you can instantly tell when you first open bag and instead of that wonderful coffee aroma you get nada…still drinkable but lacking. (If we had the space I’d be all in on whole bean home roasting & grinding)
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Yes, sadly TJ’s is pretty ruthless about discontinuing items that don’t sell; but that probably allows them to keep trying new interesting items.
For example, they had black garlic for a short while, and that was the first I had ever encountered it (garlic that is aged to give a milder dark paste; available in some Asian groceries.)

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agreed that tj’s doesn’t replace my regular grocery store — in particular fresh produce. on occasion, i have picked up some of their packaged produce — not as good as fresh, but will do in a pinch.

as for their frozen offerings, i do like their original diner mac and cheese (not the low-fat or gluten free), and i always have a few packages of cauliflower gnocchi in the freezer — great if you ignore the package direction and let them come to room temp before sautéing in pan with a little oil.

a few additions to your list: garlic spread, dried tart cherries, and, of course, chocolate!

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TJs is a regular stop for daily drinker wines, sport-top bottled water, dark chocolate almonds and ginger, chai tea mix, garlic and onion pistachios, raw almonds, peanut butter filled pretzels, everything bagels, orange chicken, and packaged chicken piccata. Mostly specific things that regular markets don’t do or don’t do as well. Meats, produce, packaged salads, and several branded products are almost always bought at regular chain markets.

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