My review for TJ’s Unexpected Cheddar seems to have gotten quite some interest, so next up for review in the Trader Joe’s Cheese Department is an absolute classic cheddar which I mentioned in that post. For my money the well known, long established, classic cheddar Cabot Extra Sharp from Vermont is the definition of and gold Standard for an “East Coast” Sharp Cheddar cheese.
Its terrifically convenient that Trader Joe’s carries it under Cabot’s own famous brand name. Cabot is actually a Vermont cooperative farm. Cabot extra sharp cheddar is my personal go-to cheese as far as always wanting to have in the fridge. Its an Extra sharp cheddar, so it has that sharp cheddar tangy taste. “Intense, rich cheddar flavor with an East Coast bite” is how they describe it on the package. I would say that description is spot on.
Cabot cheese is made up in Vermont, and Cabot Creamery is bit unique as its a true Farmer’s Collective or co-operative. Its a group of farmers banding together as a collective. Cabot Creamer dates back to 1919 so it’s been around for about 100 years. This Extra Sharp Cheddar has won many many “best cheddar” awards.
This cheddar is great just eaten sliced however it’s also excellent to cook with. It melts wonderfully well. I think makes one of the most fantastic melted cheese sandwiches you will ever try. Also terrific of course in an omelet. Do I need to say, this cheese melted on top of a burger is good (I grate it first for that and cover it briefly or put under the broiler.
Eaten as is sliced and paired with fruit well that is a perfect, heavenly combination. Especially for me, paired with apples, grapes or a pear. Just put a hunk of of this cheddar in front of me with a good apple (like TJ’s Envy) and I am one happy camper. Ending a dinner with this cheese is divine.
Trader Joe’s sells Cabot cheddar for an excellent price ($6/lb) in a block. If you have never tried this cheese, give it a try. I think you will love it – though the kids may want something a bit tamer and less sharp. If so, give them the New Zealand cheddar, also excellent, or TJ’s sliced cheddar. The adults can enjoy the Cabot Extra Sharp.
“You know how many kinds of feta exist? Thousands. Every place you go in Greece, they make feta” (Greek cheese monger in Astoria Queens)
TRADER JOE’S AUTHENTIC GREEK FETA in brine. Imported from Greece.
Though feta cheese can be made from many kinds of milk, it’s said sheep’s milk produces the best feta. That is a 100% Sheep’s Milk feta. It has the aroma and tangy flavor of a sheep milk feta along with a firm texture, but its not dry, its pretty creamy. The cheese comes in two large slabs in a salt brine which is the way feta should ideally be sold as well as kept in your fridge.
Brine preserves the texture and flavor. I find this not overly salty but just right; You will eat it with other things in which you can use less salt. There are a many types of feta cheese made in quite a few countries. It’s made from cow, goat and sheep milk. Feta made from sheep’s milk is produced in France, Bulgaria, Israel and of course, Greece. Greek Feta may be the best of them all though I honestly like feta from all of the countries I just mentioned for different reason. (French feta is creamy for example) TJ has an Israeli feta too, excellent though more expensive than this one. It has a creamier texture. Start with the Greek one, so you have a baseline.
One thing about this TJ Feta which is NOT good: the packaging. Its terrible, because this plastic box is REALLY HARD TO OPEN. In fact its a right pain. Look carefully at the top. The thin top part is a lid that once you can open it will come off. First break the corner seal by ripping asmall plastic tab in one corner of the tub. Then you can (hopefully) pry the top off carefully Do this flat on the counter, slowly so the brine doesn’t fly out everywhere. TIP: You can use a butter knife to help get the lid off, prying it. Once you open it a few times, it gets easier so don’t give up, though you will curse whoever designed this terrible packaging. Anyway the feta inside is good and worth it (but still, argh!). And by the way don’t throw out the brine when the cheese is finished (more on this later).
Here’s just a few ideas on what you can do with feta cheese. I mean yes it’s delicious just by itself but it’s so versatile to have in the fridge to use with other things, like….
Greek Salad: Put a slab of feta on top of salad greens, chopped up cukes and tomatoes and voila, you have a Greek salad. Throw on some olives if you have them. Drizzle a good slug of very good Extra Virgin Olive Oil on and squeeze on fresh lemon juice. Grind on fresh black pepper. You can even vamp it up with more proteins like hard boiled eggs, drained canned tuna or sardines, or grilled chicken. Serve some good crusty bread and you have a lovely, super easy dinner in minutes.
Watermelon and Fetasalad: Cubes of sweet watermelon with cubes of salty feta is a Genius combo. I’ve decided I don’t need olive oil on this, just the two ingredients and a grind of black pepper. But if you like with EVOO go for it. Fresh ground pepper is good with this.
Shakshuka and Feta: Use TJ’s frozen Shakshuka starter: add cubes of this feta as you cook it. Fantastic!
The latest craze is that “Baked Feta Pasta” recipe that is making feta cheese hard to find so many people started looking for it, producers could not keep up!
As this feta is imported from Greece of course it costs more than the small pack of feta cheese TJ carries at $3 for 8 oz. which is pretty good if made from cows milk but it’s not great like this imported Greek one. This Greek feta is $6.49 for 10 oz (drained). So figure about $10/lb for a real “Product of Greece” feta, which is a decent price for real Greek feta. Honestly this stuff will make your meal or dish, so worth the occasional splurge.
Oh and remember I said keep that brine? You can actually use it. That milky feta brine actually has flavor. Melissa Clark in the New York Times put out a great recipe for chicken using brine, plus you can marinate chicken breasts in feta brine for 30-60 minutes; Bake, broil, pan grill…! They will be SO juicy from the brining.
Kefir, is a cultured milk product, one that’s been produced for centuries by many cultures.
You might think of it as drinkable yogurt, however while similar to yogurt, kefir is unique. It has lots more cultures and probiotics than yogurt. It is loaded with probiotics, or healthy bacteria,. Therefore its seen as a beneficial food for health and digestion, especially for your Gut Health, which is a huge topic of research of late.
KEFIR has been quite the rage in the natural health community for some time.
On a practical food level you may find Kefir is just ideal to make your Smoothies with. I usually have it mixed with chia seeds and fruit and cereal in the morning, yes with a little yogurt added as well.
The origins of Kefir are believed to have come from the Caucasus, the mountainous regions dividing Europe and Asia where kefir has been produced for hundreds if not thousands, of years, like other fermented dairy products such as yogurt or cheese.
While Kefir is similar to yogurt in some respects, it has lots more healthy bacteria cultures than yogurt has and many more varieties. The label on Trader Joe’s bottle lists : “12 Live Active Cultures”. Compare that to Yogurt, which usually list around 3 or 4 kinds of cultures. I recognized about the first three “L” ones listed on the label (L. stands for Lactobacillus) for example “L. Acididopholus” however there are many more I don’t know such as “L. Plantarum”
Of course this means a lot more probiotics are going into your gut and digestive tract. Kefir is also supposed to be better tolerated by those who are lactose intolerant (can anyone verify their experience with this ? Please send in a COMMENT if you have some experience/knowledge about this).
In a blender, add 1 cup Kefir of your choosing, 1 cup of ice, one banana (fresh or frozen), a 1/2 cup of some fresh or frozen berries, a tablespoon of chia seeds and/or flax seeds and a maybe a drizzle of honey. Blend for a minute or two until the mix is smooth. Makes 2 1/2 cups +
I wanted to try TJ’s Kefir for awhile. So I first tried Trader Joe’s Mango flavor to start with. I liked the taste a lot. I found it really good. I mean the drink quite tasty with a nice mango flavor. I have heard that the Plain Kefir is naturally very tart and sour. TJ’s Mango version is sweetened with natural cane sugar and mango. Its not very sweet, nor is it very tart. Just right. You still get some a little tanginess. The Mango whole milk kefir drink was thick, almost smoothie thick (update: it’s no longer thick; its been changed since they first introduced it!)
Trader Joe’s also sells another flavor, Strawberry* flavor , a lower fat version made with skim milk and that is also good.
Plain Kefir – I haven’t tried the Plain yet thinking it might be too tart for me. If you didn’t grow up drinking plain Kefir, I am told it might take some getting used to as it is quite tart. In addition there is one made from GOAT MILK
Kefir is great poured on fruit. I pour a bit of the kefir over my morning bowl of oatmeal or cereal. I also mix this with soaked chia seeds and top it with granola and fruit. Also its good for OVERNIGHT OATS.
Kefir is both super healthy and tasty. If you like yogurt, you will like this and its something well worth trying. Even your kids might like the Mango and Strawberry kefir.
The Mango flavor of kefir is made with whole milk, the strawberry one is made with skim milk so a few less calories.
Trader Joe’s also sells Plain Kefir (unsweetened) if you are inclined to try it “au natural” (very tart I hear) as well as the aforementioned one made from Goat Milk! Baaaah.
Trader Joe’s KEFIR, 32 oz bottle, $2.99. $3.49
Is KEFIR worth buying? Definitely!
Your gut biome may thank you.
Kefir will improve gut health and probably help with constipation if that’s a problem from all the healthy gut bacteria in it. Mixing a 1/2 glass kefir with chia seeds or flax seeds might be a great morning routine to keep everything running smoothly! All I know is my system runs like clockwork every morning, through frankly I think my morning coffee also has something to do with that.
TIP: If you never tried Kefir perhaps I would suggest that you don’t drink a big 12 oz glass the first time you try it. Try maybe 2-4 ounces, till your body gets used to all that extra probiotic bacteria, lest it work its magic too well (if you know what I mean).
The Strawberry* Kefir is made with LOW FAT milk. The MANGO version is made with WHOLE MILK. Whole milk meaning 4% while low fat milk is 1 or 2%. So the Strawberry flavor has lower calories…. but you don’t drink that much of it, so it’s not a huge difference really.
Nutrition (per 1 cup): (MANGO Whole Milk Kefir) = 180 Cal. & 4.5 g of sat. fat VS160 Cal. and 1.5 g sat. fat for STRAWBERRY Low Fat Kefir which interestingly also seems to have 1 more gram of Protein per cup serving? Plain Kefir= 100 cals (1 cup) So if you want to save a few calories get the STRAWBERRY Low Fat Kefir or PLAIN Low Fat Kefir (though the Mango is very tasty!) Honestly, I can’t see anyone drinking it a whole cup at a time straight though of any variety, this is a small glass thing (6 oz?) or mix with some ice and a dash of water….
THANK YOU TO THE READER WHO LET US KNOW, “LIFEWAY” MAKES TRADER JOE’S KEFIR (Lifeway brand is sold at health stores) I have no doubt TJ’s is cheaper.
(update fall 2019: Trader Joe’s KEFIR used to be very thick. I mean really really thick. It changed. Its no longer as thick as when I first reviewed it. They changed it. Other readers have wrote in to say the the same thing. My gut feeling (hah!) tells me perhaps some people complained about it being too thick? I have found product changes at TJ’s again and again from when a product first came out to later on so I surmise TJ’s sometimes makes changes based on customer feedback….?
If you want to “up” your butter game at home, you have to try this excellent, High Quality French butter that Trader Joe’s sells. But be warned, if you try this butter, you may never go back to regular.
Butter is important. Especially in France. Even in France, the butter from Brittany is considered to be among the finest in the country. Spread a bit of this French Cultured butter from Brittany on almost anything… Say some asparagus, or cooked peas, green beans, or a baked potato… Maybe on some steamed Yukon Gold potatoes, or a nice slice of of toasted bread (or sliced Brioche?)… on top of an omelette…
Try this on almost anything and you will notice how good, really high quality premium butter is.
I’ve lately grown to buying two kinds of butter at Trader Joe’s. “Regular” butter and “Premium” (meaning imported). Good stuff. And this French butter is definitely the Good Stuff. If I’m having some toast in the morning and I put some of this French butter from Brittany on it, or anything, its heavenly. At any other store you would pay something like $6-7 for this 1/2 lb. pack. Trader Joe’s now sells it for about $3.80 for 8,8 oz.
I’ve gotten to really like the two Imported “premium” butters that TJ sells. Irish KERRYGOLD butter comes in a gold or silver package (salted/gold, silver/unsalted). Imported from Ireland, Kerrygold is an excellent highqualitybutter, and I love that one too. It costs a bit less than the French one: Kerrygold Irish butter is $3.19 for 8 oz.
“Trader Jacque’s FRENCH CULTURED SALTED BUTTER” comes in a blue package. It may have the slightest of edges on the Kerrygold Irish butter (but frankly both are superb butters). The French butter comes from Brittany (Bretagne), the region in the North West of France famous for cows, butter and cheeses (and Calvados!)
I’ve tried to do taste tests comparing the Irish vs. French butter and pick one over the other but they are both so good I almost can’t pick one as “better”. Both have a rich flavor that says “imported” premium butter. I started to buy the French butter as a neighbor says the French one has a slight edge. The difference may be that the French butter is “cultured” (fermented with enzymes similar to those in yogurt) to give a little bit of a tangy taste vs. the non-cultured Irish Kerrygold. Honestly though, I go back and forth on which I like more, the Irish or French butters, and always give up. Try them both and see which you prefer (if you can)! Both the Kerrygold Gold and the French Cultured are salted butters but are way less salty than you may think for salted butter you are used to (like Hotel Bar). Still, if you want an UNSALTED butter get the silver Kerrygold package. The gold package is salted (but lightly).
These imported butters naturally cost more the regular butter Trader Joe’s sells for $3/lb. I would say the normal TJ butter is equal to Hotel Bar butter or similar. But this French butter (or Irish Kerrygold) does up your “butter game”. FRENCH CULTURED BUTTER comes in a 8.8 oz pack which sells for $3.49, (PRICE INCREASED SINCE WRITING*) So figure its costs about twice as much as the regular butter. Still TJ’s French butter is I think the equal to butters you might buy in a supermarket in France. And if you compare this to imported premium butters you might see sold in an upscale supermarket here which carries imported butters, well they are crazy expensive (12/lb?). So as usual Trader Joe’s is selling this premium imported butter at a still fairly reasonable price (around $6 lb.) for an excellent French butter. The Cultured French Salted French butter only comes in a salted version but I find it fine, not overly salty at all, it’s just right for most applications. I’ve grown to love it. In fact, my Japanese sister-in-law loved this butter so much when she was visiting us that she actually carried back two packs all the way home to Japan in her bags!
Give it a try. Say slather some of this butter on a piece of warm French baguette just out of the oven, and you may never go back to regular butter, mes amis, c’est La Vie en Rose!
“Cultured butter is typically created by adding live bacteria (cultures) to the butter before it’s churned, versus regular butter which is cream that just goes straight to the churning machine. … Results in a higher-fat product, which in turns makes the butter more silky and gives it a richer taste.”
RAVE
* UPDATE: Price of the French Butter price went up. Now $3.69 (Summer 2019) Irish Kerrygold still $3.19. To save a little I’ve been getting the Kerrygold recently.
Current price: $4.50?
UPDATE 2 (Nov 2020) This French butter was M.I.A. for some time. due to a supply chain problem (Covid-19). The Irish Kerrygold butter is in stock so I have been buying that instead. Its as good or better but prices have gone up some though.
Unexpected Cheddar Cheese “tastes like an aged premium cheddar cheese with hints of Parmesan”.
In this case the hype is justified. Year in year out, Trader Joe’s Unexpected Cheddar is one of their best selling products, and for good reason. It’s a fantastic cheese. A knock it out of the ballpark item. This is a cheese which if you put it on a cheese plate for people who never tried it, you are guaranteed to get “where do you buy this?” Now while I have not tried every cheese that Trader Joe’s sells (I wish!) I can say Unexpected Cheddar is one of the best cheeses I have gotten there, or anywhere frankly.
I am a big fan of a good Cheddar, and for my tastes, the sharper the better. Is it because I’m a damn Yankee (well a New Yawkah at least? Sharp Cheddar is a very East Coast/Yankee preference. On this side of the Atlantic at least as Cheddar is quite English in origin. Historically in my taste memories the Sine Qua Non of a classic sharp Cheddar, and one that was in our house since we were kids, is CABOT CHEDDAR cheese from Vermont. If we didn’t have a piece of CABOT Extra Sharp in our fridge we would at least have a package of Extra Sharp Cracker Barrel. The reason being my dad’s favorite cheese was sharp cheddar.
TJ’s Unexpected Cheddar is a bit different from these classic cheddar’s. Cabot Extra Sharp is wonderful, and in fact it’s sold at TJs ( I recommend you try it)! But “Unexpected Cheddar” is unique with a texture unlike most any Cheddar you’ve tried. As Trader Joe’s own description is so perfect I’ll simply quote it: “Unexpected Cheddar has been a best-seller since it first hit our cheese cases, back in 2011. It presents itself as an aged Cheddar, and tastes like one as well. Until, it doesn’t. That creamy Cheddar takes an unexpected flavor turn, the texture seems to change as you eat – you might swear you were enjoying an aged Parmesan. On first try, it’s an unexpected pleasure. With subsequent purchases, the only unexpected part of the experience is that it continues to be such a great value. Then again, you’ve come to expect great values at Trader Joe’s, so our price of $3.99 for each seven ounce piece may not be so unexpected after all.”
Ignoring the marketing, the description of the taste and texture is exactly right. When you slice this, it might crumble on you, not unlike a piece of Parmegiano Reggiano. Unexpected Cheddar has some flavors which have that same “umami” overtones of a Parmigiano, Grana Padano or an aged Pecorino too. I’ve tasted this with wine, and it pairs wonderfully with both whites and reds. Or beer for that matter. I can see this as a good pick for a wine tasting or a beer tasting.
At $4 for 7 oz. figure this costs a bit under $10/lb. for a super premium cheddar, a very good deal as usual from Trader Joe’s. Once you buy this you may find it makes it onto your “Always Buy” list. To be honest in our house, the biggest problem with UNEXPECTED CHEDDAR is it goes so damn fast. Its too damn tasty, and it is way too easy for a package to get eaten in one day. So be warned. Be sure to try this melted, as it is perhaps even better melted! A slice on top of a burger? OMG. Grilled cheese sandwich? This may make the best grilled cheese you ever made. In an omelet? On pizza or as quesadillas… Yes, yes, all fantastic. So be sure to try it melted (tip: I would grate it up to use somewhere melted)
Fruits: It also goes exceptionally well with fruits. Apples, grapes, pears or figs. In particular, I find the ENVY or FUJI apples that TJ carries pair very well with U.C.C. It is a little tricky to slice this cheddar perfectly as it tends to crumble a bit but that’s OK as I promise you every last crumble will be consumed. If you serve this to guests, you will get praise. This is a must for your next “cheese plate”. Seriously if you always wondered what the buzz on this cheese was about, you must try it and you will understand.
As mentioned too, TJ’s carries the CABOT EXTRA SHARP VERMONT CHEDDAR., also well worth trying if you’ve never had it, as it is the classic East Coast sharp cheddar. You will find both the Cabot and the U.C.C. usually in my fridge.
Trader Joe’s Rants & Raves (mostly raves, a few rants) 
Recent Comments