They had this New Item right near the checkout line and so I was waiting I checked it out and then I noticed the sample station (Back, finally. Yeh!) happened to be offering samples of this so I grabbed some to taste. Yum. So good. This nut mix really looked “gourmet” with big pieces of top quality nuts: almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans and it had a little flavor of rosemary which elevated the whole combination.
I assume this is a seasonal Fall/Xmas special nut mix and is specially geared for Thanksgiving and holiday get togethers. This would impress any guest who would probably ask you where you got it.
TJ’s says: “Every good get-together needs a good snack mix, which is precisely why we like to keep a canister of our Nuts About Rosemary Mix on hand…roasted almonds, cashews, hazelnuts (aka Filberts) and pecans, all mixed together with a rosemary and sea salt spice blend spiked with just a touch of sugar.”
This stuff is super. I love it. Limited supplies so grab a bottle while you can if you are interested!
In case you are not familiar with it, Japanese yuzu is a citrus fruit that looks like a lemon, but is quite different and unique with its own distinctive flavor. It’s used quite a bit in Japanese cuisine. Among other things they use it to make Yuzu Kosho, a spice of the zest combined with chile pepper for a spicy citrus-y condiment. Yuzu kosho has been discovered by chefs here. “The secret weapon condiment chefs are putting on everything… It’s the closest thing you’ll get to a silver bullet condiment that’ll instantly impart depth to your dish. Chefs know it—they’ve been using it at their restaurants for years—and it’s time you did, too.”
This sauce has yuzu kosho combined with “small batch vinegar” to make a hot sauce that you can add a few drops or more to any food, to give it a real spark of flavor.
The sauce is really tasty and gives a nice citrusy kick to anything you put it on. As far as the spice level here, I would call it just mildly spicy, maybe “medium”, certainly not knock you head off spicy, so it may appeal to many people who can’t take too much heat.
What can you use Yuzu Kosho sauce on? Almost anything. The question might even be rephrased as what can’t you use it on? Its good on chicken, fish, salads, eggs, meats, tofu, pretty much anything you can think of. I just tested it on good old cottage cheese and it elevated something boring to a new taste.
This is worth trying if you like to taste unique items as as they say “limited” if you want to try it, grab one while you can. $3.99 a small (100 ml) bottle.
This is a seasonal (Fall/Christmas) item and to me it smells “Holiday, Christmas-y” but not too much over the top (you know, like a Hallmark movie?) Its a foaming soap, so as soon as you pump some out, your hands will already have tons of lather going. I liked it and I like the smell which is subtle and not too strong. My wife said she didn’t like the smell until I told her its a Xmas thing and then she changed her mind and told me it’s very nice! 8 oz. Pump bottle. $2.99
“Notes of dark chocolate, blackberry and brown sugar”.
Here is another limited edition Small Lot coffee offering from Trader Joe’s called La Morena Peaberry. This coffee comes from the Huehuetenango region in Guatemala from a woman-owned farm collective, La Morena.
The graphic design of the bag is just great. Trader Joe’s has some come up with some great graphics for many of the small lot coffees.
The bag says “medium roast”. I would call it a light medium roast. The coffee beans are the famed “peaberry” coffee beans which are smaller, and supposed to have more concentrated flavor.
“While there are usually two beans in each coffee cherry, approximately 5% of coffee crops yield Peaberry beans, which are smaller and prized for their concentrated flavors… In these Peaberry beans, those flavors express themselves as dark chocolate, ripe blackberry, and a sweet, cozy finishing note of brown sugar. We recommend enjoying each cup in a context where you can slowly savor every sip, like paired with a flaky pastry, avocado toast, or a few squares of our Dark Chocolate Bar with Almonds.”
This may be the first Guatemalan coffee I ever tasted. This coffee has a nice aroma, flavor and was smooth. I liked it. I’d give it a 7/10.
Now my current favorite of recent small lot coffees from Trader Joe’s is the Dominican Republic Jarabacoa (for me 9/10) which I just loved, just one reason being I am partial to a bit of darker medium roast. This Guatemala coffee is a bit higher priced than some of the other Small Lot coffees at $10.99 (12 oz) however surely “peaberry beans” go for a premium price from the grower. I liked this coffee but I am not sure I would buy it again, the only reason being that I’ve had some other small lot coffees that I’ve liked more (as well as a few I’ve like a lot less.) The last small lot coffee, that Dominican one I liked so much, I’ve stocked up on a few bags of that (its $9.99). Before that, I just loved the HONDURAN small lot coffee. Please don’t get me wrong. As coffee preference is so personal I would say this may be worth a try if you love to explore coffees from unique regions and expand your coffee taste buds and knowledge.
Fall/Autumn/Halloween seasonal stuff appears at Trader Joe’s. Make your own Caramel Dipped Apples with this kit : “Just bring your own apples to this cute little kit filled with all the fixings to make these Autumn treats”. Fun for the kids. ($6.99)
We really enjoyed this Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Cheesecake. Especially after our upstairs neighbor gussied it up with some whipped cream when she invited us to her Halloween dinner (hence the black spider napkin holder) and served the TJ’s pumpkin cheesecake for dessert. What I liked about this cheesecake was it they did not over do it in the “pumpkin spices” department, it’s pretty subtle and tasted first and foremost like cheesecake with just a little something extra, with pumpkin. Its very yummy. $7.99 for a rather large cake (30 oz). This could make an especially nice dessert for Thanksgiving, or anytime you can get this during the Fall/Winter season when it may be available. Frozen, defrost in fridge overnight or 4 hours and leave at room temp for about an hour or so. I would buy this again.
Trader Joe’s: “We couldn’t fit an entire pumpkin into the box but we did fill it with rich pumpkin flavor…blended into the tangy sweet goodness of cheesecake….perfect for holiday dessert….”
FALL SEASONAL ITEM – Trader Joe’s Organic Raw Pumpkin Vinegar, “RAW ORGANIC VINEGAR WITH THE MOTHER, UNPASTEURIZED AND UNFILTERED”
If you are one of those into Trader Joe’s All Things Pumpkin every Fall you may find this interesting enough to check out.
It’s made exactly like they make the Apple Cider Vinegar TJ’s carries, just instead of apples they are using pumpkins. I compared the taste of TJ’s Apple Cider Vinegar and this Pumpkin Vinegar side by side to compare them to each other. Now the Apple Cider Vinegar is something I’m really used to, taste-wise and just find that really really good, a perfect vinegar. ACV tastes just right to me especially as far as acidity and sharpness. This pumpkin vinegar has the slightest taste of pumpkin. It seems to be more mellow than ACV even though technically the acidity in both is the same. Both say “diluted to 5% acidity”. But this pumpkin vinegar seems less sharp to me. So if you want a less sharp vinegar, this may be for you. Me, while I find this “interesting”, it’s just a curiosity item. I’d probably say I prefer my good old reliable ACV. I could see this vinegar as being good for making a milder vinaigrette. Or used to make a shrub (drink with vinegar)?
This is $1.99 for a 8 1/2 oz bottle. I can get a way bigger bottle of Apple Cider Vinegar for just a little more ($2.49). I probably wouldn’t buy this again. Side-note – TJ’s once carried a raspberry vinegar which I actually did like a lot, as it did actually taste of raspberries. I liked that for salad dressings – but sadly it vanished like so many good TJ’s items! (Sigh)
TJ’s says: “Our supplier takes fresh, cold-pressed, organic Pumpkins and ferments them into a cider. Then they add the vinegar “mother” (a culture of good bacteria) and ferment them together to become the seasonal vinegar before you—the very same process that is used to turn apples into our Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar. This Organic Raw Vinegar is unpasteurized and unfiltered—giving it a gorgeously cloudy, orange hue—with a subtle pumpkin flavor. Use it to create a unique vinaigrette for your salads or add a tablespoon to give a punch of acidity to chilis, stews, and sauces. Best yet, combine with sparkling water for a homemade pumpkin shrub!”
There are some Fall items that are misses and some that are hits. This is a HIT for me. These are really good. I love them and everybody I offered them too liked them. The added spices and coating is not cloying, it’s just enough but not too much so you still taste pumpkin seeds, and they are really crunchy and tasty (they have butter). $2.99 for 8 oz.
The Pumpkin Greek Yogurt however was a big Miss for me; Didn’t like that taste at all. I would not buy that again.
Trader Joe’s Rants & Raves (mostly raves, a few rants) 
Recent Comments