Trader Joe’s yea/nay/meh 2019

Thanks for the recommendations @mq7070! I just purchased the Lao Gan Ma spicy chili crisp, as well as the S&B Layu Chili oil with crunchy garlic, through Amazon, and am looking forward to trying them out.
The TJ chili onion crunch is good, but not very spicy, and does taste similar to Goodman’s onion soup/dip mix as someone stated in an earlier post.

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The sheer amount of salt in spice mixes should get your attention. We don’t buy mixes at all anymore. First on the list. You can’t taste your food.

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Lots of fans of it here.

Completely different product than laoganma or other Chinese chili crisp.

I saw a box of four spice mixes/rubs at the store this week - very tempted, I’m sure they’ll be gone in a blink.

One had chili, shallots, garlic, etc - to be added to olive oil for a bread dip. Another was spicy honey mustard, add oil for a protein marinade. Two more - one sesame and other things, likely Asian leaning, and the last was steak and protein related iirc.

Forgot to take a pic. Will post when I buy (it they’re still there).

Count me among the fans. I’ve been using it as a pasta sauce, either using a spoonful for over easy fried eggs to top the pasta or just mixing it with a little pasta water and tinned fish for a one pot meal.

What part of the store? I only started going recently, and don’t seem to have much patience for it yet. Is that wrong? :confused:

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Generally I agree, but salt is necessary in a mix advertising umami—- the sense of umami benefits when glutamates (e.g. from mushrooms) are in presence of sodium, and in fact certain neurons only fire when those both chemicals are present.

I haven’t used the TJ’s umami mix in otherwise Asian recipes, but in more western dishes, I prefer the TJs version to Imperial Brand “mushroom seasoning”, which has mushrooms as the first ingredient, salt second, as well as sugar, soy protein isolate, and yeast extract.

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There is more salt than mushrooms. That just isn’t okay.

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Mrs. P tried the cornbread bites stuffed with pepper jack cheese and Serrano Chile peppers while at TJ’s and gives it 2 thumbs up. She picked up a couple of boxes. I have yet to try them. They look good, but certainly not dietetic :slightly_smiling_face:


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@Shrinkwrap, I find that TJ’s locations have varying floor plans. But there are always Hawaiian-shirt-clad clerks about, more than happy to direct you to any item you ask about. Matter of fact, unless you specifically tell them you just want to know the general location, they will lead you to the precise item, and often, ask if you’d like to sample it.

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It was on one of the end displays of seasonal/featured items

That’s about how I felt when I started going. I treated it the same way I do specialty markets at the beginning, not a regular grocery store.

Now it’s one of my regular grocery spots, so it’s easier - except one of their “things” is to periodically shift everything around so people get out of their rut and change their path through the store to discover new things. I have to say I get incredibly annoyed the first fewer trips after this, because it inevitably happens when I’m in a rush and in for a targeted shop not a wander :joy:

Treating it as I do my asian or indian or middle eastern shopping adventures puts me in a much better frame of mind for it!

And yes, even aside from the product offerings, incredibly helpful staff - they’ll guide you places, look in the back, and even send someone to pick up things you forgot while you’re checking out. So to me it’s been more than worth it to “get used to” them.

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Here’s another Cornbread Bites review from the What’s Good at Trader Joe’s blog. I haven’t tried them yet but intend to soon!

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Re that review… I may have posted here that my experience of the bites leaking was the same. It’s likely that the cheese gets bubbly and breaks through the corn meal. It’s happened both times (I had half the box on two occasions. The first time 4 leaked and the second time only two. It’s not a big thing but could be an issue if you’re serving them to guests. Bottom line was I really enjoyed them… leaks and all.

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I tried them tonight with some TJ’s Zhoug sauce which gave it a nice little kick. It didn’t look anything like the package, and there was some cheese leaking out, but it was still very tasty. I might not serve them at a fancy dinner party, but they are fine when you are home alone, especially with the Zhoug sauce.

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Annual YEA for the spiral sliced ham, which has less salt than most. I chuck the glaze packet because it’s too clove-heavy for my taste, and the ham has already had a sweetish rub. I’m a household of one, so only buy it if I can find one in the 4# range. I use it for ham & Swiss sandwiches, Croque Monsieurs, Monte Cristoes, strata, chef’s salad, potted ham, and the bone for soup.

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YEA: Bacon-wrapped porchetta is back (probably for a short time, based on past experience).

MEH/YEAH-ish: Green Goddess Dip. Consistency is too thin (so it dribbles off the chip) and flavor too sour for my taste–really more of a dressing than a dip. Which brings me to the YEA-ish: as a salad dressing, it’s not half bad.

MEH: French Onion Soup Bites. Great idea, and the flavor is nice, but these are very greasy. I think we’ll try making our own with puff pastry.

It seems like prepared food/ingredients is it’s claim to fame. Is that just this one?

Oooookaaaay :unamused:

Have I mentioned how much I hate shopping? Unless I am touring some small town in another country.

Well, there are those, but that’s not what I buy there (except the occasional dumplings or indian entree).

I didn’t enjoy TJ’s until… I got it, figured how it fit into my overall shopping, and then I loved it. The seasonal special items are just a bonus.

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So… pig wrapped in pig? My GERD is acting up just thinking about that. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

Well for me, it has fit nicely into those days when I work in a nearby town that has a TJ’s, and I have a meeting at my home that evening! Works out great!