“Grown in the Northern Highlands of Vietnam, this 100% Arabica coffee expresses notes of roasted herbs and cocoa in every satisfying sip. It’s bright and balance profile a result of the high elevation and mild climate of its growing region. Makes it especially suited to pairing with pastries and fresh cut fruit”
“Trader Joe’s Vietnam Medium Roast Small Lot Coffee benefits from the Vietnamese Northern Highlands’ high elevation and comparatively temperate climate, which both allow the Coffee beans to ripen slowly and steadily, developing a pleasant equilibrium between the more acidic, cocoa-like elements and savory, herby aspects of its unique flavor profile.”
“while supplies last—these truly are Small Lot Coffees, and once they’re gone, there’s no telling when (or if!) they’ll be back!”
LIMITED ITEM
Trader Joe’s just came out with this new VIETNAM SMALL LOT COFFEE. I believe the first coffee they’ve had from Vietnam. Medium roast. The whole beans looked and smelled very lovely, Mine bag was pretty fresh. The roast date was only about 3 weeks before I bought it, not too bad for Trader Joe’s.
Reading the package – which is so beautiful by the way – I was a bit surprised reading the words “Roasted Herbs”. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen that before to describe a coffee.
So how is it?
I actually really liked this. In fact the more and more I tried it over the next few days, it grew on me. Its tastes a bit unique. Yes for the “cocoa” notes and there that other note, I can’t quite put my finger on. A slight funkiness? In a good way. Possibly that must be the “roasted herbs” part. OK, then. In fact, here in the U.S. some Vietnamese people make coffee with the New Orleans Cafe Du Monde which has roasted chickory!
In addition to brewing it as I normally do, in my Moka pot, I thought, I why don’t I try making a “Vietnamese Coffee” with these beans since I have that typical Vietnamese Phin Filter for making Viet Ca Phe. You may have had this style coffee, maybe in a Vietnamese restaurant. Cafe Sua Da can be served either cold and hot. Like a drip espresso style with the coffee mixed with condensed sweetened milk. It’s delicious.
When I made it with this Vietnam Coffee, here too, the result was delicious. It was particularly good made that way. BTW Trader Joe’s sells cans of Sweetended Condensed Milk too. But it was good too, just made regular fashion.
If, like me, you are into checking out pretty much any SMALL LOT COFFEE they come out with, at least to try once, I would say this one is worth trying. It’s an interesting and tasty coffee. Lastly I am so impressed with the incredible illustration on the bag design with water lilies, lotuses, mountains, and water…
TRADER JOE’S SMALL LOT VIETNAM COFFEE – $11.99 (12 oz) bag
Those Vietnamese “phin” filters are not expensive (under $12) . Condensed milk goes for about $3.
“In Vietnam, coffee, whether it’s brewed and served at home or in restaurants, is brewed leisurely. Hot coffee (cà phê nóng) is preferred in the morning, while iced coffee (cà phê sữa đá) is saved for the heat later in the day.” – HungryHuy
TRADER JOE’S MAPLE STREUSEL BREAD – “A Soft Moist Loaf With A Rich Maple Flavor, Topped With A Crumbly Streusel”
LIMITED TIME, Seasonal, Autumn
<TIP: This Makes Great French Toast ! >
I came across the Maple Streusel Bread, which is a Trader Joe’s seasonal Fall item. Actually I could smell it when I got close to these, even through the bag. This has a wonderful, enticing maple aroma.
Even though I knew it’s not exactly health food, I thought I should try this and review it. For you guys. That’s my excuse, as I normally eat try to stay eating pretty healthy 😉
Sweetness I would say is like that of cinnamon buns, though here the aroma is that of maple. Rich maple flavors. The bread is a bit dense and has a crumbly streusel topping and icing, and swirls of stuff throughout the bread. Its a bit sticky when you handle it.
I tried it a number of ways. Plain, right out of the bag. A bit sweet but not bad. Next I put on a little butter. Yummy. Next I thought I should try toasting this. You will learn right away that this can get burned pretty easily with the sugar and stuff. So be careful making this, as sticky stuff melts as you heat it.
The slice of toast below is actually not burned, just toasted up to the perfect point where it was really golden brown and delicious with some salted butter spread all over it. Toasted it was already way better. So yummy. You could sprinkle on cinnamon too for that cinnamon sugar taste.
TIP: When toasting this, keep a close eye on it as it can go from perfect to burned quickly. Go slow (low heat). I toasted it on my cast iron grill pan. It will drip some. If making in a toaster oven, put foil underneath as it will drip and get sticky.
Next I saw on the web that people LOVE THIS FOR MAKING FRENCH TOAST. Yes. That sounds like a good idea.
I tried it as the bread for French Toast. Yup, it turned out terrific. Again, cook it slowly and carefully on fairly low heat. I cooked it in in my grill pan, in about a tablespoon of Kerrygold salted butter.
When its finished it looks wonderful and basically makes its own syrup from the maple and stuff. It almost doesn’t need any maple syrup but add if you want to really double down on the maple. I think could also be good with fresh berries, Greek yogurt or even a bit of good jam.
MAPLE STREUEL BREAD FRENCH TOAST: Egg/milk mixture. 1 egg plus a splash of milk will cover about 2 or 3 slices. Let it soak for some time to absorb the liquid, maybe 10-15 minutes. so it penetrates the whole slice. I cooked it in good (salted) butter. Cook till golden brown and delicious. Serve.
$4.99 (20 oz) About 13 slices in the loaf.
1 slice has 150 cals. And yes a pretty big 13 gram sugar (which is 26% of rec. daily amount)
Features real maple syrup, a brown sugar swirl, maple streusel topping, and sweet icing.
Nutrition: Contains 150 calories per 43-gram slice, with 4g of total fat and 13g of sugar.
Texture: Dense and rich loaf, often described as cake-like.
Popular Uses: Best enjoyed toasted with salted butter or used to make French Toast.
Availability: Offered for a limited time during the autumn
Perfect for cozy fall breakfasts and making irresistible French toast!
The only bread for French Toast? Well, I think the Sliced Brioche regular of pumpkin also make great French Toast.
“Rich creamy CHOWDAH made with hand shucked Atlantic surf clams, tender potatoes, and sauteed onions”
Even Trader Joe’s knows to pronounce it properly, with a Boston accent: Its pronounced “CHOW-DAH”
New England Clam Chowder is one of my favorite kinds of soups, especially in colder months, though could be enjoyed most anytime. A creamy, tasty clam chowder is just so satisfying. Hearty and flavorful. Trader Joe’s sells a ready to eat version for $4.99, which is a good price compared to say a restaurant, or Whole Foods.
Ingredients here include: Fish stock, light cream, clam juice, clam meat, potatoes, onions, butter, flour, clam concentrate, salt, sugar, garlic, vinegar, red pepper….
Here’s my hones review of Trader Joe’s New England Clam Chowder.
It was recommended to me by a friend as a good soup from Trader Joe’s. I see why she recommended it. They got the flavors right. The flavor of this is pretty much right on the money for a tasty chowder.
What I liked: The flavor is quite good, from the combination of cream, milk, fish stock, clams and clam juice. Very tasty.
What I feel could be better: Could be bit thicker. While I don’t like a gloppy chowder where they put too much flour in it, this is a bit on the thin side for a chowder. Hence all the good stuff will be one the bottom of your bowl. I suggest you could toss in some Oyster Crackers as they do up in Boston. (TJ’s sells Oyster Crackers.)
The taste of this chowder is great, and if it had a bit more stuff, it would be terrific. A few more potatoes in it for one thing. Of course I would love a few more clams too. At least the clams that are in this are good. The hand shucked Atlantic Surf clams are flavorful, cut into small pieces and are soft, not rubbery (or sandy!)
Lets be honest, its Trader Joe’s, not Whole Foods which has lots of stuff in it but they charge maybe 8 bucks for 16 ounes? I saw a clam chowder at Fairway yesterday which looked good with lots of clams. But a 32 oz container there was about $11.
So overall though it could use a bit more of the main ingredients, it’s got very good flavor.
My wife and I had this for dinner. The container (20 oz) gave us each an average size, not whopping, bowl. But along with some bread, salad and a side, it made for very satisfying dinner.
Could be a great lunch too of course. Heat and Eat so could not be easier. A whole container is 530 calories. I even thought for a next time to throw in some (frozen) scallops they sell.
TIP: Enjoy this with TJ’s Oyster Crackers to put on top of this. If you love black pepper, add a nice bit like I did. Some chopped parsley would send this up a notch too.
Ditto; should you have a slice of cooked bacon, throw it in. Salt pork is very traditional for chowders.
Three baristas were asked to pick the best store bought coffee.
All three of them picked the Trader Joe’s coffee I had also picked some time back after tasting it.
Here’s what they said:
“After weighing roast level, sourcing, and flavor balance, the coffee experts we spoke to recommended Trader Joe’s Bolivian Blend for a good everyday coffee.”
I’m no barista, just a coffee lover so when I read this in Real Simple I felt just a wee bit vindicated, in that three coffee professionals picked the coffee I had picked as a Winner at Trader Joe’s. If you want to check out the original article at Real Simple here is the link to it,
Since TJ’s introduced this ORGANIC BOLIVIAN coffee, it has become my Go-To Trader Joe’s regular coffee buy. This is just a great All Around coffee. And they almost always seem to have supply of it in stock. Whole bean. Medium roast. Good for all brewing methods. Ten bucks, not outrageous for and Organic and Fair Trade whole bean coffee.
My review of the Organic Bolivian Blend if you missed it is here (link) It’s now $9.99 for a bag (12 oz)
It’s been on Trader Joe’s shelves for over a decade, about which they jokingly say: “(If you’ve ever wept over the loss of a favorite product, you’ll know this is a lifetime in Trader Joe’s years!) It’s a unique combination of Cheddar flavor and Gruyere creaminess; buttery & nutty, with a sweet, mild finish. This Cheese is crafted just for us by a Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker and aged 90 days to achieve its distinctive taste and texture. Try it on a burger, in a grilled cheese sandwich, or cut into chunks on a cheese tray.”
This has become one of my favorite cheeses at Trader Joe’s. I now have to have this on hand always, as I love it so much. If you’ve seen this but never actually tried it, I recommend this very good cheese.
It’s a kind of unique all around tasty cheese that everyone likes. It tastes exactly like what you might imagine a melange of Gruyere and cheddar would taste like together. Nutty, buttery and a little cheddar sharpness. I love it as is just with an apple or other fruit. Delicious.
What about cooking with this? Even better. I find this is just super for say making grilled cheese sandwiches, omelets, cheese quesadillas... In other words, its a fantastic melting cheese, especially delicious if you can get it a wee bit brown and crusty.
Here’s the cheese used on TJ’s yummy PUMPKIN SOURDOUGH bread where I made a really interesting and delicious grilled cheese sandwich with the Melange and mustard on the sourdough.
Like everything else it has gone up, now $7.99 a pound. A hunk usually runs bout 5-6 bucks.
Trader Joe’s Broccoli Cheddar soup is another one of Trader Joe’s tasty and handy Ready To Eat soups, sold in the refrigerated case.
I hadn’t tried this before but Trader Joe’s says they’ve “improved the recipe”.
This is a very hearty soup/chowder, made with a creamy base . What I really liked is that this had a ton of large pieces of tasty broccoli, as you can see in the picture. I mean it was just loaded with nice big pieces of it, in addition to carrots.
On the cheese front they use two kinds of cheddar’s, a Sharp Cheddar and their fantastic Unexpected Cheddar.
I just happened to have a little piece of leftover cooked bacon in the fridge, so I thought why not add it on top. I chopped it up and topped the soup with it, and it did add a superb note (just saying if you have any, use it) Also when serving it can’t hurt to sprinkle on a little bit of your favorite cheddar on top.
We ate this soup for dinner recently and found it quite delicious, close to say a Whole Foods version. This made a tasty. satisfying dinner along with some a slice of toasted sourdough bread and a big salad, that made a easy tasty meal.
The container was just enough to serve two of us, about 10 ounces each, for dinner with a small but filling bowl. This is a very hearty soup, pretty much like a chowder. Good anytime but perfect for a cold Autumn or Winter day.
1 cup (approx 1/2 container) have 310 calories.
Stove Top: Pour soup into a pot and heat on Medium for 5-6 minutes until heated through, stirring occasionally. Allow to sit for a minute before serving.
“Excellent as an entrée and spectacular as a side, our upgraded Unexpected Broccoli Cheddar Soup makes a particularly great pairing option for a hearty sandwich or crisp, leafy green salad. Creamy, comforting, and rich, we also like simply serving it with a hunk of crusty bread for dipping, or hollowing out a Sourdough Boule and enjoying it inside a bread bowl.” – Trader Joe’s
Apparently that gift package was very popular, and they sold a lot of them. While all the three of those tomato sauces were a hit, this one in particular, they say seemed to be a standout, with people asking for them to come out with it on its own in a big jar. Hence this 24 oz jar of sauce. This is the one made from cherry tomatoes (“datterino” in Italian, as in “little dates”) and roasted garlic.
“Trader Joe’s Caro Sugo Datterino Cherry Tomatoes & Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce is available only in our stores for a limited time. We find that its combo of Puglian Datterinos (or “little dates,” so named for their date-like appearance) and rich Roasted Garlic (along with basil, sea salt, and onions) gives it a bright, bursting flavor profile that synergizes fantastically well with all sorts of pasta shapes. Of course, that’s just where we’d start: you may find your Datterino Sauce destined to be used in a lasagna, on a homemade pizza, or as a full-flavored dipping sauce for some air-fried Breaded Mozzarella Cheese Sticks.”
Here’s my honest review of this sauce.
First off, I really liked the “original” CARO SUGO pasta sauce. I mean, I love it. It’s just terrific.
This Caro Sugo DATTERINO sauce using cherry tomatoes is terrific as well. Trader Joe’s Caro Sugo Datterino sauce is an excellent fresh tasting tomato sauce that has a “homemade” taste, not like something you just poured it out of a jar.
It’s simple and delicious with very good ingredients, like those special cherry tomatoes, roasted garlic and a few other all natural ingredients. It’s not a smooth puree like something commercial, but has body, a little chunky. You will even see some sprigs of whole fresh basil leaves in the sauce, just as if your Italian Nonna threw them in at the very end.
I ate the sauce with pasta and spinach on the side. I also made some pizza with it, and it was fantastic in both. Very versatile sauce you could use with anything and level up your Italian dishes.
It’s a LIMITED ITEM. So if you want to try this one, grab it while you can.
Trader Joe’s has this to say: “Our Plum Torte comes to us from a longtime supplier in Canada, who just so happens to be an expert in the art and science of fruit-forward pastries. Here, they start with halved, slightly tart, quite juicy Plums (the first ingredient!), arrayed within a layer of batter. The Torte is baked until just done, then frozen in this state of perfection. Once you get it home, some time in your oven is all it takes to achieve the alluring aromas, slightly crispy edges, and tender, fruity Plum Torte of your dreams.”
Yes the first ingredient listed is plums, and as you can see in the picture you will find a good amount of them. Big halves of juicy delicious plums throughout. which make this a super yummy plum cake.
Yes, it’s a bit on the pricier side for a Trader Joe dessert dessert but the quality is there, with good ingredients. Plums and a lot of butter. It tastes like something you bought at some bakery, though at probably double the price.
Here’s my honest review: Myself, my wife, and a neighbor taste tested this PLUM TORTE. All three of us found it surprisingly good, remarking about all the tasty plums baked into a tasty, buttery cake. We thought it was quite delicious just as is, however we thought the plum torte would be spectacular if one matched this with either some vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
We did have one problem which was getting a clean slice out of the pan. Our torte wanted to stick to the tray. But it was my fault, as I learned after carefully reading the instructions. I had not taken it out of the tray as recommended and put the frozen torte onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (we did “baked from frozen”). Read the two methods for baking this carefully, as they differ slightly.
They give you two ways to bake this, from Thawed and from Frozen. The Thawed method has you thaw it overnight in the fridge, so plan ahead for that one. With it thawed overnight, you bake it for only about 5-8 minutes at 350F. That method has the cake stay in the tray, and they suggest for serving you cut “off the edges of the paper tray”.
The baking from frozen method is slightly different and has you remove it from the tray (we missed this part and had left it in the tray) They say put the frozen torte on a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake for 18-20 minutes or “until heated through”. Or maybe try using the baking sheet for either frozen or thawed?
Either way let it cool for a few minutes of course.
I think the trick with this is to get it baked enough so the edges get a slight crispy-ness as that would be the optimum texture. The torte is not very sweet. The plums are a bit tart. In fact, if you like you could dust the top with a little powdered sugar, maybe even crunchy TURBINADO SUGAR.
This would be excellent to serve for company or guests.
Trader Joe’s Almonds are grown in Kern County in the San Joaquin Valley where the weather conditions are ideal for the production of California’s finest quality almonds.
I”ve gotten every kind of almond at Trader Joe’s including raw but I always come back to the roasted and salted variety. We switched over to the 50 per cent less salt kind and guess what? We don’t miss that “extra” salt at all. These are perfect. If you want to cut down a bit on sodium, trust me you won’t miss that extra amount.
These almonds are delicious. So delicious in fact, I have be very careful lest I find that half the bag has magically disappeared.
The quality of Trader Joe’s nuts is well known, not to mention TJ’s nuts I think are better on price than almost anywhere else?
Trader Joe’s is selling these for $6.49 now. DRY ROASTED.
TRADER JOE’S (pricey) HAIR OIL vs. my recommendation JOJOBA OIL
I’m a guy with curly hair. Long ago I discovered my hair looks better if I just put a little oil on it. So for years I’ve been putting a little bit of some kind of oil on my hair when I get out of the shower. My Go To oil is usually a jar of coconut oil or similar.
I tried Trader Joe’s HAIR OIL. They call it “salon quality”.
“Trader Joe’s Hair Oil is filled with a salon-quality Hair Oil that’s made with some of the most sought-after hair care ingredients, including: argan oil, moringa seed oil, chia seed oil, and vitamin E. It helps fight frizz, tame fly-aways, and smooth split ends, all while adding incredible shine. Plus, its moisturizing ingredients help protect against potential damage your hair can sustain from blow dryers and other heat styling tools.
I guess the words, “salon quality” justify the Salon Price of this tiny little bottle. They are selling this little one ounce bottle for six dollars! Here’s my honest review of Trader Joe’s Hair Oil.
I kind of liked Trader Joe’s Hair Oil. It smells nice, Its a little heavy and thick. Over a few days the hole where the oil comes out got gunked up, to the point of almost not working at all. However to me the main thing is this price. This stuff is just WAY too expensive. $5.99 for just one ounce to me seems like a rip-off and very un Trader Joe’s.
Perhaps some of you with way more experience with beauty products might disagree and say well this stuff has many special ingredients in it. That’s why it cost so much. Fine. If you think, its worth it, go for it. I’m a guy. I don’t want to spend that and honestly for years, I’ve bought and used other products like Trader Joe’s very good LEMON GRASS COCONUTOIL. That works fine on my hair. 4 ounces are about $4 dollars.
Which brings me to another Trader Joe’s oil: 100% PURE JOJOBA OIL. It’s perfect for my hair, as well as just as “body oil” and apparently is excellent as a facial oil and cleanser too. The 4 ounce bottle costs $7.99. So two dollars an ounce, not six. This is 100% pure jojoba oil. It’s a very light oil, not heavy or greasy at all. In fact, Trader Joe’s expensive Hair Oil contains some jojoba oil (Simmondsia Chinesis). It’s well known to be good for hair as well as for face and body.
So I say try this lovely 100% Pure Jojoba Oil for your hair instead of overpaying for the tiny bottle of HAIR OIL but that of course is just my suggestion. If you try both, please let us know if you think the little bottle of Hair Oil is worth the difference in price.
(for hair, skin, and scalp….remove makeup….cleanse pores….softens hands and feet…. prevents dry skin… leave-in hair treatment…. after shave moisturizer)
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