For years I have bemoaned the fact that Trader Joe’s carried a number of types of long grain rice – Thai Jasmine, Indian Basmati – which are all terrific. However the one thing TJ’s didn’t carry (until now) was short grain (aka “Asian”) rice. Well finally they do! OK technically Trader Joe’s Calrose rice is a “medium grain” rice however the reality is it’s an Asian type rice, grown in California. Seeing this Calrose rice for the first time made me so happy as it meant I no longer have to trek for rice at H-Mart or other Asian supermarkets, lugging a 20 lb bag of short grain rice back on the subway!
So what is CalRose rice exactly? (Cal as in California). See the link below for complete info.
Maybe you have seen Kokuho Rose rice, or Nishiki? Both are brands of Calrose rice grown in California for the U.S. Asian rice market. Nishiki is an especially popular brand among Japanese people in the US.
One thing I need to point out however are the directions written on this package need some adjustment. I think TJ’s directions saying “simmer for 30 minutes” is crazy and wrong: cook rice for 30 minutes!?! That’s about twice as long as one normally cooks white rice. If you follow the instructions written on the package I think you will end up with overcooked, mushy rice. See my correct instructions below:
HOW TO COOK CALROSE RICE (on stove top). You need a heavy pan with a tight fitting lid. Wash 1 cup rice gently in one or two changes of water. Drain the rice 15 minutes in a colander. Put drained rice in the pan with 1 1/4 cups of water (ie, a little over 1-1 ratio) with a little salt*. Cover and cook on med. high heat. Set timer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes check rice quickly. You should see most if not all of the water gone and a few holes in the rice. Turn heat to lowest setting and cook covered for another 6-7 minutes. After this time, just turn off heat. Don’t open the lid! Leave rice covered 10 minutes. It should be perfectly cooked. You can fluff it a bit with fork or chopsticks. Taste it. If you really think its not done put on low heat for another 4 minutes with a teaspoon of water added. (*I add a little bit of salt to rice however my wife (Japanese/Korean) never adds salt.)
Of course short/med. grain rice is naturally stickier than long grain rice, for one thing making it easier to eat it with chopsticks.
spicy tuna hand rolls
Oh and by the way this Calrose rice is not only for Asian dishes but excellent for other dishes, like Spanish rice dishes calling for medium grain rice, such as paella. You might even try doing a risotto with this TJ rice.
Trader Joe’s Calrose Medium Grain rice sells for $2.49 (2 lb bag ie, 1.25/lb) A typical price these days as rice has gone up in price a lot since a few years ago.
Can you make sushi with this? Yes! Or here’s something way easier than real sushi – serve this rice with Spicy Tuna (with mayo and Sriracha) and sheets of Nori (TJ’s roasted seaweed snacks) and slivers of cucumber for an easy sushi style hand roll. Need a recipe for Spicy Tuna? Here you go!
(UPDATE: UNFORTUNATELY TRADER JOE’S DISCONTINUED THIS PRODUCT !)
I originally gave this product a RAVE when I reviewed it. Now I give TJ’s a RANT for another really good product they discontinued. See the Comments section below at how many people wrote in who are pissed at this being discontinued. Also look there as well how you can find almost this exact product if you really want it – though that will cost you (argh!) The reality I’ve observed is that Trader Joe’s has discontinued many kinds of rice and grains, they used to carry for just one example, the very good Stone Ground Grits they used to stock. Also the Calrose Rice. That was my Asian rice staple I now have to go pay twice as much for in Asian specialty stores….
(for archival purposes – product discontinued since writing this)
Trader Joe’s Brown Rice Medley – “A delicious blend of long grain brown rice, black barley and daikon seeds”
This is a tasty improvement over plain brown rice. A blend and tasty mix of parboiled brown rice plus two slightly unusual additions – black barley and daikon seeds. Who even knew you can eat daikon seeds? I didn’t until discovering this product.
When I cooked up this rice blend for the first time, it got a seal of approval from both myself and my wife as it made an interesting, nutty tasting rice side dish. However I found Trader Joe’s instructions need a tiny bit of modification regarding liquid amounts. I suggest less liquid than they say on the package. So instead of the 2 1/2 cups they state I say try 2 1/4 cups of water or stock (to 1 cup of rice). For a ratio of slightly more than 2:1. Also if using just water, you should add a bit a salt. Butter is a good idea. Letting it sit (without peeking!) at the end for 10 minutes is important so all the liquid gets fully absorbed. Fluff up with a fork when done. Hitting this with a little more butter is a good too. Possibly some chopped parsley? Serve with your favorite main. Its $1.99 for a 1 pound bag. Worth trying. PS If you find it a bit too cooked for your tastes or mushy, the next time you make it reduce the cooking to 30 minutes (instead of the 35 mins written on the package). The brown rice in this has been par-boiled. Normally regular brown rice needs about 45 minutes.
NB: This post has gotten more Comments then any other post! A lot of people have written in to complain about this item being discontinued. One reader found it available from another supplier online (though at a pretty steep price !). Read through the Comments for the details
Alternatives: TJ’s BROWN JASMINE RICE & BROWN BASMATI RICE– regular brown rice just takes 10 more minutes than this mix which had parboiled rice. Also consider TJ’s WILD RICE; you can cook some brown rice and blend it with cooked wild rice for another good rice blend. ALSO – They have an excellent rice blend called HARVEST GRAIN BLEND this is good on it’s own or blend some of that cooked with cooked brown rice.
I did locate “DAIKON SEEDS” on Amazon. I don’t see why you couldn’t mix these into brown rice? Here’s a link to the DAIKON SEEDS (Amazon)
Rated “While not anywhere equal to kimchi you would get at a Korean supermarket it’s OK in a pinch, especially for cooking with, and it’s pretty cheap for kimchi!”
(Review Update: I tried it again (Dec 2023). I found it improved. TJ’s kimchi has gotten a little better since I first wrote this review. While still not top notch kimchi, it’s not bad – especially factoring in the price which you can not beat)
Yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut and kimchi are all fermented foods with probiotic benefits. So in addition to being being tasty as side dish or an ingredient, kimchi is a healthy food teaming with probiotics and worth adding to your diet.
My wife is Korean/Japanese. We try to always have some kimchi in our fridge. Personally I love me some kimchi. I like it so much, during Covid I even tried my hand at making it myself (and actually it turned out great.)
From my wife and my in-laws I’ve learned to tell what’s good kimchi. My wife says Trader Joe’s is “just OK”. She will eat it if its the only kind we have in the house but she much prefers to buy kimchi at H-Mart. So lets’ get this out of the way immediately. Their kimchi is way better than Trader Joe’s. It cost more though.
I can tell you the kimchi from HMart is great. It was no doubt made locally, and trucked in which probably took no more than one or two hours. In contrast, Trader Joe’s kimchi is Made in Korea. Which sounds good but think about how is it shipped to the U.S. By Air or Sea?. I’m guessing with the time to get it to the U.S, its taken some time and fermented more which is OK for Kimchi if you want it a bit aged. It just may not be as fresh a kimchi as you might buy H-Mart (when you open a jar of that, you can tell it’s pretty new-ish as the HMart one has a a firm crunchy texture and bright color. If you check out this site, it has pictures of Kimchi over time, from one day old to fifty days old; you will really see what happens to it. Compare the “Day 50” to “Day 1” kimchi to see what occurs as it ferments more.
With this Trader Joe’s kimchi, the texture of the napa cabbage is a bit soft, the green quite faded.Kimchi is a “living” food that continues to ferment, even in the fridge which slows down but does not stop fermentation.
My wife and I think in a pinch a jar of Trader Joe’s kimchi is OK. As we like having some kimchi in the house we say “it’s better than no kimchi”. Generally what we do with TJ’s kimchi is use it for cooking and kind of think that’s what you should too – but of course you can just eat it as-is. Just realize this kimchi is nowhere as good as say the excellent Tobagi brand kimchi one can buy at H-Mart. However that stuff is now crazy expensive! This kimchi is a bargain comparitively.
In the past in Korea, kimchi was almost typically all home made, though modern Korean families mostly buy it these days, unless Mom or Grandma makes it. In Korea of course one can buy very good commercially made, very fresh kimchi. Here in the US you can find good kimchi at Asian markets for example H-Mart. Kimchi is tricky to distribute because it is alive and highly perishable. It keeps fermenting. We once bought a jar at Whole Foods of a crazy expensive, “Mother In Law’s Kimchi”. When we opened it up, the kimchi exploded out of the jar like a shook-up can of Coke! Jeez, it had really fermented and built up pressure. It made an enormous mess of our entire kitchen and took us about an hour to clean up. On top of which we didn’t find it at all worth the high price ($14?) at Whole Foods.
Historically Trader Joe’s has tried their hand selling Kimchi a few times, in different packages (see above). Over the last few years, I would notice some kimchi at Trader Joe’s but it changed or vanished? Either they discontinued it for a spell or maybe they were finding other vendors, changing the packaging, or all of the above. Before TJ’s current version sold in this red plastic jar, they sold kimchi in a plastic pouch (see link) and then in a glass jar. This current version is the third incarnation/package I can recall. I have never been too impressed with TJ’s Kimchi usually giving it a “well its OK”. My short review of this TJ’s latest kimchi attempt remains that: “well it’s OK”. Let’s face it, this kimchi was shipped (by air?) all the way from Korea, probably landed in California, then it has to be distributed by truck all over the US.
In reality TJ’s kimchi is nowhere near to a kimchi you will find at almost any Asian market, like H-MART (wow, see how many kinds H-MART has?!) If you have the chance to buy some at an Asian market, that would be a good base line to compare this to.
On the plus side Trader Joe’s Spicy Fermented Napa Cabbage Kimchi does have a tangy fermented taste (from lactic acid, which interestingly is even listed as an ingredient?) It doesn’t list any fish products (oysters, squid, or fish sauce) for more Umami like many top brands have, meaning TJ’s kimchi is VEGETARIAN/VEGAN. Is it “Spicy” ? I don’t find it spicy at all, like most kimchi is, though I imagine this is a highly personal taste. Trader Joe’s kimchi is kind of already what I would call just a shade “old” meaning it’s like a Korean supermarket kimchi that we bought say 2-3 weeks ago that had now become more fermented as it sits in our fridge. As kimchi ages and ferments more the taste gets a little more sour, it gets softer, and the green color fades a bit. What we do at this point is we say let’s make something with it. Use it to cook in a dish, for example to make a kimchi fried rice, or maybe “Soon Dubu” (kimchi tofu stew) or Kimchi Pork (Buta Kimchi).
I’m glad TJ’s is at least selling Kimchi and Korean foods like the TTeok Bok Ki. And Jap Chae (both are not bad) or the Korean rice cakes.
So to sum up if you can’t get a really good Kimchi from a Korean store, Trader Joe’s kimchi will do in a pinch. It’s price is amazing (still $4 in 2023) – kimchi in Asian supermarkets has gone up so much, its crazy expensive.
Try TJ’s kimchi with your Pot Stickers. I say cook with it, certainly use this with some leftover rice for some kimchi fried rice, with a fried egg on top. Some more ideas to use the TJ’s kimchi in dishes:
You could make a Kimchi Jigae (kimchi stew) with tofu and kimchi and pork. Tip: TJ’s pork tenderloin is good for this.
This is a very good Kimchi (TOBAGI sliced cabbage kimchi). Bon Appetit reviewed a bunch of kimchi brands and Tobagi was one of them. Its available at HMart if you can get to one; try some really good kimchi and you will understand the difference
DIY Kimchi! No, seriously! I’ve made kimchi. Its good. There are easy kimchi versions that are not terribly hard to make. If you buy a few ingredients at a Korean market you can make your own kimchi and I bet the result will be better than TJ’s kimchi not too mention you will feel like a star when you impress people casually tossing out “You like this kimchi? I made it myself”. Aaron & Claire on YouTube have a great “easy kimchi” recipe using regular cabbage (it’s a kind of “summer kimchi”). I made it and my (Korean-Japanese) wife who has always said the TJ kimchi is at best “meh” told me the cabbage kimchi I made based on Aaron & Claire’s recipe was the best kimchi she had in the U.S. (she was just so impressed this white guy – me – made some good kimchi)
Seriously, if you want a good kimchi, you will be surprised that you can make kimchi yourself. Thanks, Aaron & Claire for a super recipe, and you will find lots of other ones on Youtube and online. I’ve learned so much watching Aaron cook.
You can find toasted Sesame Oil at Trader Joe’s as well as GOCHUJANG (red chili paste) It’s a must have ingredient to do Korean cooking. As well as Korean Red Pepper Flakes (Gochugaru) – needed for making kimchi
Trader Joe’s Channa Masala (spiced chick peas with onions, tomato and spices)
Vegetarian
Trader Joe’s has quite a number of very good Indian foods in Frozen. Many of them are worth exploring, but this is one of my favorites. The next time you are thinking of an “Indian food night” I would definitely recommend checking this dish out.
Trader Joe’s frozen “Channa Masala” is very flavorful and very authentic tasting. Whenever I eat this I usually think, this could have been delivered from an Indian restaurant. That is how well spiced the dish is.
To cook it, you can either heat it in the microwave or you could cook it on the stove which is the way I usually do it. I let it defrost for about a 1/2 hour, then slip the frozen puck out of the package and put in a pan with a tablespoon of water. I always eat this with Naan or TJ’s excellent Malabari Paratha and Basmati Rice.
PS – no one says you can’t add something to this. I often add something ; for example frozen spinach or some packaged “greens” (kale, etc) then another pat of butter. This variation with added greens is an excellent combo.
$1.99 (10 oz package). Higher now due to price increases.
Another one of those things that I get almost every time I go to Trader Joe’s as it’s delicious and an extremely versatile thing to have in the fridge (or freezer) and a pretty good deal.
If you are not familiar with “pork tenderloin” let’s put it this way… If this was beef it would be the filet mignon. The best melt-in-your-mouth deliciously tender cut. One big difference? Beef filet mignon costs about $15-20/lb or more? But this “pork filet mignon” sells for $4/lb at Trader Joe’s. A $5 piece can feed a family. So deliciously tasty as well as super affordable.
(UPDATE: Price has increased since this was written)
Trader Joe’s sells 4 versions of the pork tenderloin. “Plain”, 2 marinated ones (peppercorns and garlic & herbs) that cost more – come on it’s so easy to do a marinade of your own in a few minutes. TJ also sells a “crate free” pork tenderloin if you prefer which is $6/lb. more expensive. At Whole Foods I’m just guessing this would cost double that price?
Boneless pork tenderloin is a lean cut with almost zero waste. It can has a “silverskin” which should be removed. This is not very hard, you just need a sharp knife.
I frequently just cut the tenderloin into “medallions” or steaks about 1/2-3/4 ” thick, season them, and cook them as one might cook filet mignon. Or one can cook it whole in a pan, then slice it afterwards (deglazing the pan after for a pan sauce). Cut the meat into strips, and this is so perfect for Asian dishes & stir-fry’s. Or Fajitas or Tacos! Whole, its great for roasting in the oven. Pork tenderloin can be an impressive center-piece of a fancy dinner (See the stuffed roast pork tenderloin video recipe below) Another tip: Be sure not to overcook tenderloin, as it’s so lean it can easily get overcooked and dried out. A correct cook of tenderloin should have a bit of pink (trust me, it’s safe and fine) TIP: Slice slits in the meat and insert thin slices of garlic all over.
Seasonings for pork tenderloin? You can not go wrong with any of these: garlic, lemon, rosemary, cumin, peppercorns…. and AJIKA!
TIP for Asian stir frying: The Chinese technique of Velveting any meat for 20 minutes will make it even better.
Chicken and Vegetable OR Pork and Veg. Gyoza Pot Sticker Dumplings – Perfect for now (currently Chinese Lunar New Year) or anytime of course.
Chinese dumplings are one of my very favorite things to eat. Seriously. Over my lifetime I would not be surprised if I’ve eaten a thousand of them, in one small hole in the wall place or another, mostly in Manhattan’s Chinatown or Flushing’s. Flushing especially has become a destination for dumplings with terrific places that specialize in dumplings of all kinds. I’ve even learned how to make dumplings myself, from scratch, including at times even making the wrappers! (I usually buy them in an Asian market). However that’s too much for most people. Which is where these babies come in. When you just get a craving for Pot Stickers, you can buy these frozen Gyoza Pot Stickers that TJ carries in their frozen Asian section. They’re good! They’re cheap. $3 bucks a bag. Wow.
Now I am not going to say that these dumplings can measure up against my favorites dumpling joints. Never the less the fact is I buy these bags of dumplings all the time to have on hand in the freezer for whenever I get a dumping craving and don’t want to leave the house (which let’s face it is all the time right now in the middle of Covid-19!)
These TJ bagged dumpling are not at all bad for what they are, they are super convenient, and frankly at $3 a bag (about 21 dumplings) they are a steal. TJ sells both a Pork & Veg version and this Chicken & Veg version which I am reviewing here. As the pork one is not “porky” enough for me (I can make a decent pork and cabbage dumpling) personally I give a slight edge to the chicken ones surprisingly, as of course pork dumplings are way more typical dumplings. Buy a bag of both and see which you prefer. They’re both good. Now the stuffing of both versions are too finely ground up for my personal dumpling preferences. In any handmade dumpling you would usually be able to see chopped up vegetables which one can’t in either the pork or chicken dumplings.
These are a tiny bit on the blandish side but a good dipping sauce can really make up for that with some nice Asian flavors in it. My first choice is to make these in a pan as Gyoza or Pot Stickers. Pot Stickers refers to first frying the bottoms, and then adding liquid to steam them, giving one the best of both worlds texture-wise in a single bite, with the wrapper both a bit crispy/chewy plus soft. The skins on these TJ dumplings are neither too thick nor too thin but acceptable in proportion to the filling. If I make them myself they would have thicker skins, be bigger and more packed with filling. But these do fine in a pinch. I have never tried cooking these in a microwave though the package states you can make them that way. Nor have I tried making boiled dumplings with these, as also suggested on the bag. If you did boil them in a strong flavorful chicken broth they might be very good that way, especially with some spinach, kale or other leafy vegetables, i.e., a “chicken soup with wontons and greens” type soup (hmm, i just gave myself an idea to try out!)
PAN FRYING YOUR DUMPLINGS: One can boil these but personally I make these mostly as Pot Stickers or Gyoza using a well-seasoned black cast iron pan. If you don’t have one of those just use a good non-stick pan. Swirl a tablespoon or 2 of neutral vegetable oil in the pan with medium heat. Put your frozen dumplings in bottoms down, careful they don’t touch each other or they will stick together. You will hear them start to sizzle in a bit. Let them cook without touching them till they are nice golden brown on the bottom, maybe 4-5 minutes…You can check one every once in a while. You don’t want to burn them however you do want very browned bottoms, Well I do! When they are browned, toss about 3-4 tablespoons of water (or stock) into the pan and immediately put a cover on! Stand back of course as they may spit or really steam up at you. Lower the heat a little. If you have a clear glass cover that’s ideal so you can see whats going on inside but if you don’t, any cover that fits tightly will be fine. We want to let them steam until the water is just about all gone which may take about 6-8 minutes. Check when you think they are done. When they are almost ready if you put a tiny bit more oil when the water is all gone and let them keep cooking they can get a quite crispy bottom which is lovely, but this step is tricky, and optional. Anyway this is the reason these dumpling are called “pot stickers” as they do tend to stick to the pan and not want to leave it! If they are a bit stuck use a thin spatula to gently help release them, being careful not to tear the skins.
You should to eat your Gyoza right away while they are nice and hot, so timing is critical. What we do, is we get everything ready, then take just 2 or 3 dumplings at a time on our plates, cover the pan with the heat off to keep them warm and come back to fill up with a few more when we finished the first ones. That way you always eat warm dumplings. In the first picture you can see I served them with edamame and peas which were a great match with these dumplings to add in more veggies. You can serve them with a little rice too and any kind of veggie or salad. We can usually eat about 6 each easily as the Main, along with other stuff though they can be just an appetizer of say 3 or 4 each. I strongly suggest eating lots of green veggies with these. Edamame go great. If you can get Bok Choy or Choi Sum, that would certainly go well. And toss lots of chopped scallions all over these when you serve them.
Many countries have some variation of pot sticker dumplings. In Korea, “Mandoo“. In Japan they are called “Gyoza“. In China, Jiao-zi or Guo-tie.
You always eat dumplings with a dipping sauce. One classic sauce might be Chinese Black Vinegar* with lots of julienned ginger. Or soy sauce plus vinegar, sugar, ginger and garlic. TJ sells a bottle of “GYOZA DIPPING SAUCE” which is fine if making your own sauce is too much trouble. I frequently use TJ’s diping sauce and add just add a few things to it (like Lao Gan Ma, chili sauce) If you like fresh cilantro it’s wonderful with dumplings. Something spicy to add a kick if spicy is your thing, like me. Green Dragon hot sauce for example is great with these! TJ’s Sweet Chili sauce is also lovely! I mean a bit mixed into your dipping sauce.
While I can’t say these TJ frozen dumplings compete with the best Chinese homemade dumpling places I have gone to, these are quite decent and make up a great deal with the convenience of being able to have them anytime you get a craving! These bagged ones are such a bargain for $2.99 a bag (UPDATE: now $3.49). TJ has a number of other “fancier” dumplings in the frozen section in boxes which cost a bit more but frankly I keep coming back to these cheaper bagged versions. I tried TJ’s Pork and Ginger Soup Dumplings and frankly was not impressed. Not surprising as making Xiao Long Bao is a pinnacle of the art of dumpling making. I’ve eaten them at some top dumpling restaurants like Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao in Flushing, Queens (fantastic! go if you get a chance).
Chinkiang Black Vinegar can be found at most Chinese or Asian groceries (5-6 dollars?) If you can’t find it and don’t mind paying through the nose Amazon sells it. It’s a classic, pantry item.
SIDEBAR: In New York City if you want terrific pan fried or boiled dumplings I check out VANESSA’S DUMPLING HOUSE which I first enjoyed 20 years ago in her original tiny hole in the wall joint on Eldridge Street where no more than 4 people could fit. Her product was fantastic and word grew about her amazing dumplings which went back then for the amazing price of 5 for $1! Vanessa’s business grew and she became a very successful immigrant entrepreneur who kept expanding and improving and now has multiple beautiful places. If you eat her pot stickers or any of her many kinds of dumplings you will learn what really good dumplings taste like. They do cost more though now! Finally, if you really are interested in learning more and maybe trying your own hand to make dumplings you will find lots of great info here
Trader Joe’s sells two versions of EDAMAME (Soy Beans), these shelled ones as well as unshelled, in the pod.
Both kinds are excellent, really tasty and not to meantion super healthy. You should add either or both to your diet if they are not already on it.
Maybe you first encountered Edamame in a Japanese restaurant when a waiter put a bowl of kind of fuzzy and weird looking pods on the table? Someone told you to nibble on them and to suck the beans out that were in these pods. Served this way edamame are typical “bar snacks” you would find in a restaurant or Izakaya (pub).
These are beans/legumes so of course edamame are good for you. As well as very being quite DELICIOUS. They have a taste a bit like peas but nuttier and earthier. I like them both versions, in the shell and out of the shell, so I usually buy a bag of both. As a side dish you can’t go wrong with Edamame with a pinch of salt and some butter. Yummy!
TJ’s frozen Shelled Edamame are convenient, as you don’t have to peel them of course if you just want the beans. Useful as a side dish, the same way you would serve some peas, or for adding to a dish, such as a rice dish*, again exactly as one might add green peas. When I add edamame, say to rice in the last 3 minutes, I don’t cook them first as the bag suggests (they are already cooked in fact). I just put them in a colander, rinse them till they are no longer frozen and then toss them in the pot of rice (or whatever) for maybe 3-4 minutes. Or use them, as an addition to your favorite recipe. Soy Beans contain Lots of protein (9 gr in a half a cup!), lots of fiber, vitamins and basically everything that is Soy Good for you. Maybe one of the healthiest things you can eat. A 12 oz. bag of the shelled version is $1.99 which is less than in a Asian specialty store where you normally find these goodies. And about $1.69 (1 lb) in the shell, which are of course great to serve people to nibble on and suck out of the shells in the traditional style. Maybe the kids would like those, as they are very hands on, play with your food.
Trader Joe’s as you know carries a whole bunch of condiments and sauces, many being outstanding. It has quite a few hot sauces, most of which are VERY good. TJ’s Green Dragon Hot Sauce is one of my favorite Trader Joe’s items, along with Bomba and Peri-Peri and of course ZHOUG).
Now I would easily say Trader Joe’s GREEN DRAGON is a fantastic hot sauce and if you Google it, you’ll find it has many, many fans. GREEN DRAGON has far more fans than the TJ’s Sriracha (which while not bad is nowhere the equal of the original classic Huy Fong Sriracha {red rooster label) IMHO.
Trader Joe’s Green Dragon Hot Sauce‘s ingredients include: jalapeño, tomatillo, garlic, cilantro,vinegar, garlic, lime juice and habanero. It is spicy of course but not blow the roof of your mouth off spicy. This stuff has a lot of lovely flavors going on, it’s not simply “hot”. With the above ingredients naturally Green Dragon can be viewed as a type of classic Mexican/South American style salsa. But it works with all kinds of cuisines and foods in particular I find Asian or Asian style food. When I’m making many Chinese or other Asian dishes I tend to use Green Dragon a good deal. Its very floral as it is made from fresh green chiles, herbs and aromatics. Used judiciously this sauce adds flavor to all kinds of dishes with a hint of spiciness. A few drops can go a long way in the flavor department, so you can use it a bit sparingly (unless you love heat, in which case use more of course!) For example a splash of this when you are making eggs, either in scrambled eggs, or on top of fried eggs… It’s great with egg dishes. I even put a few drops on something “boring” like cottage cheese (no really, try this combo on a toasted bagel – or on crackers which I have above) Cottage cheese with some GDS is boring no more. Toast up a bagel, top with cottage cheese, dot with Green Dragon; Thats one yummy breakfast. AVOCADO TOAST? YES! See below for a mini-recipe.
I just put some GDS in a lentil soup I had made and found it was perfect for that too, it added just that little bit of something extra that the soup needed. It is easy and fun to experiment with Green Dragon. Once you start trying it on different things, you will also discover, “umm, that works with this too”. Green Dragon sauce is one of my “always got to have in the fridge” TJ items! I never am without it and I keeps one in the pantry too, as I never want to come up empty. It’s a steal for $3.29 a bottle (18 ounces). In another Gourmet type store, something like this would be six bucks no doubt.
Avocado Toast: mash a ripe avocado up with salt, pepper, a splash of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice then add Green Dragon to taste. Spread the avocado mixture on lightly buttered sourdough toast, a sliced brioche, a bagel, or any of your favorite toast. This is really yummy. Side note – add some into your guacamole, of course that’s also a fantastic match).
These are quite good. “Trader Joe’s Roasted Seaweed Snack” are made from seaweed, and are similar to, but slightly different from Japanese nori (seaweed dried into sheets).
These are “yaki-nori” (roasted nori sheets). These are from Korea. Korean ‘nori’ are made with sesame oil which gives the sheets a wonderful aroma and nutty taste and airy texture. They are more delicate and not as dense structurally as Japanese nori sheets, so can break apart easily. These are harder to roll stuff up in, for making sushi for example. But I do find the Korean kind tastier and in fact TJ’s “Roasted Seaweed Snacks” are delicious. Yes you can eat them as “snacks” as named, just pop them in your mouth. Eaten like this, a package will vanish FAST! They are addictive. However they are good any way you would employ nori. I have made sushi hand-rolls with them (very carefully so they don’t fall apart). You should try this; they’re terrific.
A pack of these goes for 99 cents (and yes I’ve seen better prices for similar ones at Korean supermarkets but you might not have one of those near you) Its still not a bad deal at all as they give you a good number of these small square sheets, which weigh almost nothing.
Now I have read this is a “polarizing Trader Joe’s product” meaning you either love it or hate it. Huh? Who hates these? Personally I love these and would say if you haven’t tried them, pick up a pack and check them out. They are a “healthy snack”. As with so many TJ items, you may be instantly hooked and grab them every time you see them (and no I don’t get paid for this folks, or get free samples. I wish!) My local TJ’s is actually putting them right by the Checkout line… next to the chocolates! That must mean something: checkout line item.
Do as the Japanese do: Try making thin strips of them to sprinkle on rice. Take 2 or 3 sheets. Using a scissors cut them into strips as thin as you can. Sprinkle strips on top of…. well almost anything. They will add interesting flavors to: rice, salads, fish, chicken, meats…experiment! Try wrapping some food in them too, instead of bread or a taco (maybe two together for added strength?) I love them with “Spicy Tuna” and some sushi style rice. Put a sheet in your hand, top with some rice and top that with some Spicy Tuna. Gently fold into a tube and pop that tasty morsel into you mouth. Yum Yum Yum!
I found a very good post about them on this blog; take a look.
If you are want more information including the Nutrional Info, I found TJ’s product description for them online (PDF) – turns out I was right about guessing Korean origin.
Here’s what TJ’s has to say:
THE ROASTED SEAWEED SNACK STORY
It all started under the sea with an edible red algae (genus Porphyra), which is now commonly known as nori. Around the 8th century, evidence of nori surfaced in Japan as a type of culinary paste. It wasn’t until the Edo period (1603-1868) that sheets of nori were invented through a method of paper-making. Skip forward a few hundred years, and nori becomes a sensation across the globe—for sushi, snacking and seasoning. So Trader Joe’s knows, it’s now or nori. Our Roasted Seaweed Snack features nori from Korea that is roasted with a touch of oil (sesame & canola) and sea salt, then cut into strips. That’s it. It’s light, crunchy, ocean-salty and nuanced with an intriguing nutty flavor. It’s so good, it proves hard to keep in stock. Especially at 99¢ for a package.
UPDATE!
PS – I found this and had to add it…. this is hysterical!
“Korean flavored nori is increasingly popular in Japan, also as a topping for white rice. You could also eat flavored nori just on its own, but you should resist the urge to do it when in polite company: eating flavored nori as a snack is considered fairly vulgar (which doesn’t mean people don’t do it!)”
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