I love pistachios and I love chocolate. So when I saw this new item Trader Joe’s recently came out with, naturally I wanted to try it. The concept sounds good.
But the reality? Well, while tasty three of us tasted this and had the same reaction. This isn’t a slam dunk success. Why not? Pistachios are kind of delicate and subtle in flavor. The texture is also a little soft. Coating them in chocolate sounds good but we found the the chocolate really dominates and overshadows the flavor of the pistachios. Unlike other nuts, say almonds where the almond can really stand up equally to the chocolate. You know you are eating almonds, as they have a more distinct in flavor not to mention a very crunchy texture.
So while I find it kind of tasty its a bit of a miss not a hit . I probably won’t buy this again. If I want a chocolate covered nut, I will just stick to the chocolate almonds or cashews.
TJ’s: “Made for us by a supplier in the Republic of Korea, Trader Joe’s Jumeokbap are flavored with a mix of plant-based bulgogi and savory-seasoned vegetables, and take only about a minute in the microwave to go from frozen to soft, steamy, and ready-to-eat. Traditionally, jumeokbap are spherical, reflecting the shape of a closed fist. Trader Joe’s Jumeokbap are a little more pyramidal, making them a kind of vegan mashup of jumeokbap and Japanese onigiri.”
First some history. Originally when Trader Joe’s came out with their KIMBAP, they blew up on social media, perhaps way too much for their own good as the Kimbap was/is sometimes hard to find in stock as it sells pretty fast!
Trader Joe’s apparently realized they were on to something with a Korean rice thing. I think they figured, let’s come come out with another Korean rice product. This newer rice based edible is called JUMEOKBAP. This translates basically as “Fist Rice” referring to rice you can hold in your hand (or fist) and eat. In other words a “rice ball” not too dissimilar to the Japanese rice ball onigiri. However those are usually simpler with plain white rice and something inside.
Jumeokbap are vegetarian with a soy protein “beef less bulgogi” added as well as carrots and other things. Each 10 oz package contains 3 individually wrapped rice “balls” though to be accurate these have a triangle shape. Japanese rice balls (onigiri) are made with plain rice wrapped with seaweed on the outside plus something in the middle. In “jumeokbap” the rice is seasoned, its not plain. It’s mixed with flavorings like soy sauce and sesame oil and has other ingredients. All these tastes are really good and I find these pretty tasty. These Jumeokbap rice balls aren’t huge. They are a little over 3 ounces each. The picture on the package kind of throws you off as far as the size – at least it did me.
As they are not big, I’d say one rice ball may be just a snack, and that at least two would make more of a realistic meal, or side dish, with other things of course. These were tasty especially when I had my idea / hack which is to grillthem (see picture below)
Grilling made them even better. We both found the JUMEOKBAP to be tasty, and we did enjoy eating them with kimchi of course! (Yes we got some really good kimchi at H-Mart as a new one opened up two blocks from our Trader Joe’s!) But in a pinch get some Trader Joe’s kimchi which is ok in a pinch, to eat along with these.
To make the grilled version, I had the idea to kind of do them like “Yaki Onigiri” (yaki means grilled). Frankly I thought these Jumeokbap were even better grilled up as opposed to just nuking them as the grilling added even more flavor.
HOW TO GRILL JUMEOKBAP: Instead of following Trader Joe’s instructions to microwave them, what I did was first let these thaw left out on the counter for a hour or two (wrapped). Next I put them in a cast iron skillet on medium heat, adding a little oil. I grilled them on each side for about 5-6 minutes or just until they got slightly browned. Sesame oil would be ideal but any oil will work.
Try them grilled! Its worth the tiny bit of effort as they get tastier.
Now to make them “even more Korean” in addition to the grilling we then ate them wrapped up in some Trader Joe’s “seaweed snacks” (aka Roasted Korean Nori). This was also a great idea. So I suggest buying some of the Seaweed Snacks (“Kim or Gim”) as well to really enjoy these. And some kimchi of course even the TJ’s one in a pinch, is better than nothing.
Trader Joe’s says: “Made with organic wheat and whole wheat flour and sweetened with a touch of organic sugar cane molasses, Trader Joe’s Organic Seeded Bread is soft, chewy, and ever-so-slightly sweet. Loaded with organic sunflower, flax, poppy, and sesame seeds, it’s also as hearty as can be, with a perfectly toothsome, seedy texture. Use it for all of your sandwich-making needs, or toast and slather it with Cultured Butter and your favorite fruit preserves”
It’s just loaded with seeds.
I really like this bread and buy it all the time. It’s one of my favorite sliced breads Trader Joe’s sells. The name says it all: “Organic Seeded Bread” and they are not kidding about “loaded” with seeds. This bread has a lot both on the outside as well as on the inside, which makes this a pretty hearty bread which works great for sandwiches as well as toast.
Wholesome. Whole Grains. Sunflower, flax, poppy, white and black sesame seeds and millet, all organic of course. No dough softeners, preservatives or artificial ingredients. One slice has 6g of Protein.
(Just FYI I keep bread in the freezer, where it will last a month or two. Keep it tightly closed)
Yesterday was Memorial Day, and we got an invite to a neighbors for hot dogs, baked beans and the works. It was great. I brought the buns. These brioche buns are similar to TJ’s excellent FRENCH BRIOCHE BREAD. Soft, fluffy, yellow from eggs, they are a bit of an upgrade from the standard hot dog bun.
Made with eggs and butter in the brioche fashion.
We ate these with really good hot dogs (ours were from Shaller & Weber) but Trader Joe’s has good dogs too (organic uncured grass fed…) These buns were just perfect and went great with are grilled franks.
They are even better when lightly toasted so we did that of course. Yummy.
But nobody says they are “just for hot dogs”. You can use these top split buns for things besides hot dogs of course.
“Soft and fluffy these buns are top loading. A new world twist on an old world recipe. Hot dogs? Sure, but why stop there? Perfect for lobster rolls, egg salad, shrimp rolls or shrimp salad, grilled veggies, meatballs and marinara….”
You get the idea. These could be a bit versatile. Now these would be great for lobster roll, which I love. However as lobster is $$$$ you might also come up with a still delicious similar roll for way less using say Argentinian SHRIMP or LANGOSTINO TAILS. Or even TJ’s TEMPURA SHRIMP?
A few days later I used these brioche buns to make what I call A Poor Man’s Lobster Roll — a shrimp roll, basically the same thing just using shrimp. They were yummy!
And yes Trader Joe’s has these same fluffy yello brioche buns in a HAMBURGER BUNS as well!
These make a definite upgrade for either.
$3.49 for 16 oz (8 buns)
I would buy these again.
TRADER JOES: ” Generally speaking, hot dogs have a reputation for containing questionable ingredients. Trader Joe’s Organic Uncured Grass Fed Beef Hot Dogs, however, have an incredibly attractive & simple list of ingredients, the very first of which is USDA certified Organic Beef that comes from Grass Fed cows. You’ll also find sea salt and celery powder in the ingredients. These serve not so much as flavoring, but to effectively “cure” our Uncured Dogs, allowing us to leave out unwanted preservatives, such as nitrates & nitrites. What else goes into our Organic Uncured Grass Fed Beef Hot Dogs? The rest of the ingredients are all organic seasonings, like garlic purée, minced onion, paprika, and red pepper flakes. No fillers. No kidding. “
Trader Joe’s Vegan Banana Bread with Walnuts is achieved “without the use of dairy or eggs (or, of course, any other animal products).”
This is one of those TJ’s vegan products that appeals to non-vegans (like me) as well. I found this as tasty as other banana breads that aren’t vegan.
“Whenever we introduce a vegan version of an existing product, we always make sure that it will appeal to non-vegans as well-our philosophy being that when it comes to comfort food, you shouldn’t have to compromise. We’re happy to report that Trader Joe’s Vegan Banana Bread passes this test with flying colors, boasting a fabulously sweet banana-walnut flavor and dense, moist texture. Every soft, flavorful bite gives in nicely, without any of the rough or gritty consistency that you can occasionally encounter in certain other ‘alternative” breads.”
Trader Joe’s SAVORY SQUARES Vegan Cheddar Style Crackers made from nuts and seeds. (Gluten-Free)
My neighbor bought these and told me to come try them to review them.
The two of us, neither being vegan nor gluten free, were still quite impressed with these. Both of us were quite surprised at how good these new crackers Trader Joe’s just came out with are. Gluten Free or not. They taste great. Yes “cheesy” without cheese or dairy. The main ingredients are tapioca flour, almond flour, sunflower seed flour, flax seed meal, potato starch, yeast extract and other things.
Made with all these kinds of nuts and seeds and other things they have a very Savory taste and cheesy as well. Both of us who you could say are hard core cheese lovers said like the way they did taste a bit cheesy. These are one of those products that are so good you will like them if you are vegan or non-vegan, gluten free or non gluten free. Thats how good they are.
If you just gave me these and didn’t tell me anything I would just assume they were regular cheese crackers not something that was vegan or gluten free. I would just say these crackers are really good, period. Meaning anyone is going to love these. This is not one of those gluten free products that is a mere shadow of the original its trying to come out like. This is a really terrific cracker that I expect anyone would love. They are so flavorful. Full of “umami”. Really these are the bomb people.
We ate the crackers just by themselves – again, terrific – but as we are definitely not vegan – we are both total Cheese Heads, we said these crackers are great. Now lets put some good cheddar cheese on them and see how they are with cheese!
Yes as good as they are by themselves of course we cheese freaks thought they went great with cheese too. If you do cheese boards these will go well with any kind of cheese, or any other topping for that matter.
But if you are Vegan, or Gluten Free you will love these for being that AND tasting really good!
The only downside of these is they don’t give you a ton in the box and they go fast!!
My wife’s gotten addicted to these. She is buying them every time she goes to Trader Joe’s. She says they’re the best cracker she ever had.
$3.99 box (5 oz)
Trader Joe’s says this:
“The cheese cracker is a time-honored treat, a classic savory snack for kids and adults alike. However, it’s not always an option, dietarily speaking, as most tend to be made with gluten and dairy ingredients. That’s where Trader Joe’s Savory Squares come in. Made with a mix of nut and seed flours, these superbly snackable Squares achieve an unmistakably Cheddar-y cheesiness and satisfyingly crispy crunch, all without the use of any gluten or animal-based ingredients.
Excellent for everything from simple, everyday snacking to scooping up your favorite creamy dip, these Savory Squares are ideal for bringing along on road trips, toting to board game nights, or packing into school lunches. They can be enjoyed totally on their own, as a standalone snack, or mixed in with other savory treats”
This is one of those rare Gluten Free products where the GF version is just as good, if not better, than the original one made with whole wheat.
I really like Trader Joe’s regular “Seeds and Whole Grain CRISPBREAD” which I reviewed before. Though I am not Gluten Free, I saw these and wanted to try the GF version of the terrific Norwegian crispbreads Trader Joe’s has. The ingredients are similar, mostly seeds, however the regular version has wheat in it.
They are all very hearty and very crunchy and are great as a cracker or as the base for an open faced Scandinavian style sandwich. Super with a spread or some cheese or even just butter. Or by itself it you like.
The GF version is also terrific. I can eat gluten so I don’t have to get the Gluten Free version but this is so good I would still buy it. Its excellent, really tasty. A little similar in taste and texture to the original one, but this GF version of course does not contain the whole wheat the regular version has, so no gluten here.
This version is made from sunflower seeds, oats, sesame seeds, flax seeds, rice bran and a few other ingredients. Healthy. Made in Norway. I love these style of breads and this gluten free one is also really good. The Gluten Free crispbread cost a bit more than the other ones. These go for $4.29, as compared to the regular Seeds and Grains Crispbread ($2.99).
“Kosher for Passover. Light and crispy with a mild flavor”
(seasonal item)
I like how Trader Joe’s puts a nice spin on matzos by saying they have a “mild flavor”. Let’s face it, matzos are at best bland so yes one could say a “mild flavor”. I find them almost tasteless on their own. But put some butter on them and then we’ll talk!
I tasted these Trader Joe’s matzo and they tasted like well matzo. In my time I’ve eaten plenty of matzos, and I am pretty Meh on them but especially with a premium butter all over them they make a good butter delivery system. While as a “cracker” or for a “base for hearty toppings” they remain rather bland, I have always found matzos to be best as a vehicle to put things on like a huge spoon of sweet delicious charoses (a sweet yummy mix of chopped apples, nuts and honey) or maybe made into a Matzobrei … as with addition of butter, eggs and some good jam and fried up they are pretty good.
Price wise this box of Matzo seems to be going for about half the price where I’ve just seen them in a supermarket and at Zabar’s. There they are at least $5 / box so this price is a plus.
If you are in the market for some matzo for your Seder, grab a box, and give these a try.
Trader Joe’s fortunately sells a number of excellent Japanese style rice crackers (aka “senbei”) and I am a big fan of any kind.
These types of rice crackers are baked not fried. Hence low fat, low cal. As made just from rice flour these are naturally GLUTEN FREE.
They’re great for snacking by themselves as well as being great as a cracker for any topping. We like all of the different kinds of rice crackers they carry. I buy one or another of them all the time.
These Savory Thin Mini rice crackers are the soy sauce / tamari version of an identical rice cracker minus the tamari flavor, which is lighter in color. Also called “Savory Thin Mini Rice Crackers”, either version of these mini rice crackers are good.
The one with Tamari soy sauce flavor I find quite tasty as it gets some UMAMI from the Tamari and it’s Multi Seed and also contains black sesame seeds and flax seeds.
All of the Trader Joe’s rice crackers are naturally GLUTEN FREE as they are made from rice flour. The ingredient list has just a few ingredients, no weird chemical names, and overall seems pretty natural. These Mini Rice Crackers are really tasty and worth trying if you’ve never gotten them before.
$3.99 for 8 oz bag.
I would buy them again.
The lighter colored savory rice version of these rice crackers costs a bit less ($3.49) and those are also good if just a little plainer.
Sorry I cut off serving size; its 36 crackers = 120 calories; very low!
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