Trader Joe’s Pizza Bianca (Made with Parmesan cheese sauce, Mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, Onion and Rosemary)
Trader Joe’s added this slightly “controversial” pizza to their line of frozen pizzas, many of which are pretty good. Why controversial? “PIZZA BIANCA” is of course a white pizza, meaning no tomato. To some people that means, its “not even pizza”. Trust me, this is pizza. And it’s surprisingly to me, bloody good!
This pizza is made with three different cheeses which blend together to make a rich, creamy and delicious cheesy sauce plus it also includes onion and rosemary.
The description on the box sounded intriguing to me, even though I admit I am a bit of a traditionalist and yes tend to generally think of pizza as having a least some tomato on it. However the word as per the internet was that Trader Joe’s new PIZZA BIANCA was good. Really good. So I thought I should try it. My honest review?
YES. This pizza bianca is really good. So very tasty. And level up, as in tastes “gourmet”. If you served this to friends and hid the box you could probably fool them that you ordered it in!
I must say I was impressed at just how yummy this is. I found it to be quite delicious. My wife loved it as well. The crust was good.
So this new pizza is yet another very good frozen pizza you can get from Trader Joe’s, which has a ton of good ones to choose from. And, another great buy for a pizza at just $4.99. Which can feed two.
(right out of the package)
The crust has been partially pre-baked, as you can tell from a few dark spots on it already.
When I was preparing I did have an idea to Hack this Pizza Bianca.
Who says it has to be completely white? I love me some tomatoes, so think “why don’t I cut up a tomato and put some on!?” It’s not a bad idea at all. As a test, on half the pizza I put some sliced Roma tomato.
Guess what? It’s fabulous also that way. We both loved the result. Adding tomato is not a sin. I would say its a terrific hack for you to try as well. Though try it on half to start with, so you can taste it as intended too. It is very tasty “au natural”, but I loved it with some fresh tomatoes (use Roma or cherry tomatoes sliced). Trader’s suggests topping it with some arugula for nice veggie flavor to mix in with the cheesy sauces.
I might recommend trying either after you try it the first time, just “bianca”. Just so you can see this is versatile. You could even add Prosciutto after baking though that would be even richer.
The crust is thick and chewy with a nice flavor. The mix of Parmesan cheese sauce and all the other cheeses are delicious, with the back notes of onion and that rosemary.
(before baking – yes i put some tomato on half!)(after)
HOW TO COOK PIZZA BIANCA – As per the package: Pre-heat oven to 400 (Give your oven a good 1/2 hr to get to steady temp). Place the pizza on a baking sheet, sheetpan or foil in the center of the oven. Bake at 400 for 14-16 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the pizza is heated thru (bubbly). I turn at the halfway mark as many oven heat unevenly.
“Enjoy pizza as is or top with arugula for a zesty contrast to the rich melty cheese”
TIP: Brush the edge with olive oil before baking for moisture.
Slice and enjoy!
A whole pizza is 1140 calories – for me, “Feeds two” with sides.
“To create the vacation-in-a-jar that is Trader Joe’s Organic Guava Spread, our supplier starts with organically grown Guavas from Brazil picked at the peak of ripeness. The luscious pink fruit is simmered with organic cane sugar, fruit pectin, and a bit of water (plus ascorbic and citric acids) to create a thick, brick red, tart & tangy spread, teeming with tropical flavor. Simple? Somewhat. Tasty? You bet.”
That bit about vacation in a jar? I have to say, it’s not far off. The moment I simply opened up this jar, something wonderful hit my brain which just registered as a “tropical” smell, before I even put any in my mouth.
Then I put some on a spoon and tasted it. Tropical? Absolutely. This just has the most amazing flavor. I put it on everything to see what it works with.
It works with almost anything. Cottage cheese, toast with butter, or even better, cream cheese. In fact it pairs up so wonderfully with all kinds of cheese. Monterey Jack. Pepper Jack. Cheddar cheese. UNEXPECTED CHEDDAR (on a cracker spread with this guava jam.
You name it. Put some on pancakes. Try with vanilla ice cream or chocolate ice cream, in fact it pairs great with chocolate. Peanut butter and J. Crackers. Cheese boards!
“And who wouldn’t want to level up their summer cheese board with a swoosh of this Spread on a cracker, topped with a cube of TJ’s Unexpected Cheddar Cheese? (Fun fact: this is exactly how the Spread was served and ultimately approved at the TJ’s tasting panel—the combo is absolutely worth tasting for yourself!)” – TJ
All over the internet, everyone seems to agree that it is incredibly tasty
I just loved this Guava Fruit Spread. I bet you will too.
Product of Canada. The guava is from Brazil. Certified Organic
I would buy this again. It’s considered a very good price too as guava is not cheap.
Trader Joe’s ORGANIC GUAVA SPREAD $2.99 (10.5 oz jar)
If you had to pick out the single “healthiest” item you can buy at Trader Joe’s, what would you pick? Here’s the one I might pick.
Trader Joe’s STEEL CUT ORGANIC OATS. “Ingredients: Organic Steel Cut Oats” -That’s it. Simple. Whole grain. Classic. Super food. Minimally processed; even less than rolled oats.My favorite oatmeal is that made using steel cut oats.
Oatmeal made with Steel Cut Oats cook up to a distinctivelychewy texture with nutty whole grain, hearty flavor. Yes, it takes a little more time to cook than rolled oats but its not that much, and it’s worth that extra 10-15 minutes for a better tasting and better texture oatmeal.
Steel cut oats are a natural food that has fairly low processing during manufacture. Steel cut oats (aka groats), are just oats that are dried then cut with very sharp steel blades into smaller pieces. This makes them cook a little faster (25 mins) than if they were left whole as groats.
In contrast to make rolled oats, they first partially cook the groats, then press them between steel rollers to flatten them and cut them. Doing this makes them cook quicker (15 mins) So called “quick oats” are rolled even thinner and cut even more into very tiny pieces that cook very fast. Personally I don’t bother with quick oats except sometimes for doing “overnight oats”.
As far as oatmeal goes, steel cut oats are my favorite, as they have a lovely chewy texture and a lovely nutty flavor (which you can increase even more with some toasting them before cooking in your pot before you cook them).
Steel Cut Oats take a bit longer to cook than rolled oats but I think the effort is worth it, as they taste better. These take about 25-30 minutes. To save time, in the morning do what I do. I generally make a batch the night before so they are all ready in the morning. I usually will make a big enough batch to last us about 3 or 4 days. I do like rolled oats however steel cut oats have better texture (chewy) and taste (nutty).
You can even double the recipe (8 c water / 2 c oats) and even freeze some.
How to Cook STEEL CUT OATS:
The basic ratio is 1:4 – Meaning1 cup oats to 4 cups water. Use a pot big enough so that there is a few inches at the top to avoid boil overs. Be sure to use a nice big heavy pot with a thick bottom to avoid burning.
Boil 4 cups of water. Then stir in 1 cup of oats. I suggest adding a pinch of salt (optional but it tastes better)
They start to thicken after about 5 minutes. They need 30 minutes total. When the oats start to boil, lower the heat till they are just simmering. I then cover the pot loosely (watch it, as oats can easily boil over and make a mess of your stove). Or just leave it uncovered, adding a little water if it looks too thick. If you cook it and find it’s too thick or the bottom is burning, just add a little more water. As it cools, it will thicken.
STIRRING: Every 5-8 minutes or so you should stir the oats occasionally to make sure the bottom doesn’t stick or burn. If you feel oats stuck on the bottom, just scrape the bottom to loosen them with the (wooden) spoon.
Let them cook slowly for about 25-30 minutes total.
ADDITIONS: The list of stuff you can add is almost endless. We like to add a good sprinkle of cinnamon as they are cooking. Apples: to a batch (1 cup oats) we dice up a whole apple and throw that in too and let it cook in the oats. I leave the peel on. My wife removes the peel (peel has flavor) Dried fruits: Add, Raisins. Dried cranberries. Most any dried fruit. I add those at the very end so they don’t over cook.
(this is a version I made with cut up apples and ground cinnamon)
To Serve: again, optional additions are endless – A little butter or cream, brown sugar, raisins, bananas, frozen blueberries or other fruit. Whatever strikes your fancy.You can change them up easily so you can make it different every time. Sure some of that stuff makes them a bit less healthy but I feel I balance it all out. If you are a purist, just eat them plain (boring) If you are a purist, you could eat plain.
By the way, as the author mentions here, if you order them at a restaurant or diner, especially in New York, the price for a bowl of steel cut oats can be outrageous! ($11-13? No thanks, we will make them ourselves for 50 cents!)
“Oats are considered an exceptionally healthy, nutrient-dense whole grain, packed with fiber (especially beta-glucan), protein, vitamins, and minerals. Regular consumption supports heart health by reducing cholesterol, aids in weight management by promoting fullness, and helps stabilize blood sugar levels.
Key Health Benefits of Oats:
Nutrient-Dense: Rich in magnesium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, and antioxidants. There’s a reason horses are fed oats. Frankly these are practically the same as oats horses eat, the real difference being the grains here have been cut smaller. STEEL CUT as the name implies has the oats cut with steel blades, with a grain cut into about 2 or 3 pieces just to make it cook faster. That’s it. Minimally processed.
Trader Joe’s Organic Oatmeal $4.49 (30 oz tub) CERTIFIED ORGANIC
“Serving Suggestions: serve with milk, cream or butter. Add honey, agave or maple syrup, brown sugar, dried cranberries, raisins….”
PS – I still buy Rolled Oats too as they are good for making Overnight Oats, Oatmeal Cookies, and other things… So I have both kinds of oats in the cupboard usually.
There used to be quite a few items you could find at Trader Joe’s that cost 99 cents. There aren’t many now. There are a few pasta items that still cost 99 cents though many went up to $1.29-1.49 like farfalle/bowties.
Trader Joe’s ORZO still costs 99 cents and it’s great! So useful to have in the pantry.
Orzo is a rice shaped pasta frequently used in Greek and other cuisines. I find orzo just so handy. So here’s my Ode To Orzo. First thing I love about orzo is how fast it cooks. “Boil5 minutes” ?! Yup. It probably will take you longer to boil the water. It is so small it just takes 5 minutes to cook.
Many meals when I realize I don’t have enough stuff for a meal, I will find myself reaching for the Orzo. Because it’s ready in no time at all and yes it is a pasta, and I love any pasta. All I need to do is dump a cup of orzo into boiling salted water (or stock).
After five minutes just drain it, add it to a bowl and throw in a nice hunk of butter or olive oil (or mix of the two). Grind on some black pepper. Taste if and see if it still needs a sprinkle of more salt. BOOM; your buttered orzo side dish is ready. Optional; Grate on some cheese. Parmesan, Pecorina, Grana Padano or cheddar or goat for that matter.
You can equally expand on buttered orzo with adding a vegetable to that. Perhaps diced fresh zucchini which is a lovely combination especially with some feta cheese for a Greek dish. The cubed up zucchini can cook in the water along with the orzo and be ready when the orzo is, in about 5 minutes. Or even easier vegetables? Use a frozen vegetable. Maybe French Green Beans? Or frozen peas? The green beans can go in with the orzo (about 5 minutes). Add the peas about the last minute or two before the orzo is cooked as those are ready very fast.
It’s great for adding to soups or stews as well. Chicken soup with orzo is fantastic and very comforting.
Orzo is fantastic to make whole dinners around. For example, a ONE POT dish of Garlic Butter Chicken Orzo; here’s the recipe.
So this is why I always have some orzo in the cupboard, and suggest you should as well. If not, the next time you are at Trader Joe’s just grab a a package of what I think is one of the handy dandiest items there that only costs 99 cents! The 99 cents pasta (spaghetti, capellini, orzo, etc) and cans of beans there are good ways to stretch your dollar at Trader Joe’s.
Trader Joe’s regular chicken meatballs are a very popular and for good reason. I frequently notice people buying packages of all the chicken meatballs they carry. On a recent Trader Joe’s trip I went to pick up a package of meatballs only to notice a new version – A Buffalo Style chicken meatball with cheese. Yes!
That makes 3 kinds now, the original plain meatballs, a Teriyaki Pineapple version, and this new one: Buffalo Style Chicken Meatballs with Monterey Jack cheese. All are good but this new one may be my favorite so far.
Here’s what Trader Joe’s has to say – “…All natural ground chicken is mixed with mild Monterey Jack Cheese and classic Buffalo Style seasonings (They are fully cooked). To enjoy, just heat them in an air fryer for four minutes, or conventional oven or use microwave (I suggest not microwave) . Each bite of these tender Meatballs satisfies with mild, tangy heat and notes of savory peppers and garlic. Enjoy them on our Sandwich Rolls. Use them as a flavorful protein-boost for your Avocado Ranch Salad Kit.”
TASTE: I think these are the best tasting of the 3 kind of chicken meatballs Trader Joe’s has.
In this new version they’ve added some tasty Buffalo style seasonings (peppers, vinegar, garlic, celery seed) plus a bit of Monterey Jack cheese. These give these meatballs a savory, lip smacking mildly spicy flavor in the style of buffalo chicken, with just a little heat. These are Not blow your mouth off Buffalo wings spicy. They have just enough spiciness to make it interesting. Of course spice level is personal but I would call these “mildly spicy”. Unless you are super sensitive to spicy these should be fine especially as you will be eating them with other things (bread, tortillas, rice, salad, etc)
CONVENIENCE: Generally I think Trader Joe’s chicken meatballs are just SO HANDY to have in the fridge, as they can help put together a meal easily and quickly. As they are vacuum sealed, these keep fresh unopened easily for a few weeks or more in your fridge – or freeze them.
VERSATILE: You can do lots of things with these little meatballs. I like them best a bit browned up. I sauté or grill them. I slice them in half or in thirds, and get them GBD. I like to cook them in butter or butter/ oil mix, or just olive oil. Cook them gently until they have some color on them in a non stick or cast iron pan. They can be made in an air fryer.
Mix them with whatever you like. You can add them to some sauce (Italian, Mexican, Thai or pretty much anything). Match with a veggie and rice and you can come up with a meal in no time. Pasta works great. I like them inside tortillas or some wrap or pita. Or just top a big salad with them, or use them for a protein bowl with some grains and veggies, or just put them in a hero roll maybe with some ranch dressing and greens. More cheese melted with/on these is a great addition.
(above pic) I thought I would use the meatballs to make some quesadillas. I sliced them into thirds. Browned them in 1 tsp olive oil. Added frozen corn and a little cilantro. I used that plus Pepper Jack cheese in corn tortillas for my quesadilla’s, and cooked them until melted and golden brown. With a little salsa on top, this was a very tasty combo.
COOKING: I would go sauté, oven bake, broil or air fry. I usually cook them in a pan as that’s most practical for me. Cook until they get a little color.
TIP: I WOULD NOT MICROWAVE these, though the package says you can. They will NOT turn out very good just nuked as they won’t get browned. These taste best a little bit GBD, golden brown and delicious.
If you never tried any of TJ’s chicken meatballs, I would start with this new version which I think is the best one so far.
Trader Joe’s ORGANIC RADIATORE pasta is a relatively new addition to the pasta shelves there. They were introduced along with the square rigatoni pasta, which I also gave a great review.
Want to know the translation of “radiatore“? Funny enough it means what it sounds like: “radiator”. Because that’s what these look like. Little radiators.
The shape has all those nooks and crannies which are perfect for taking in and holding a lot of sauce. By the way, did you know the Italian government recognizes about 300 different pasta shapes?
A 1 lb package goes for $1.99. It’s a high quality, bronze die cut pasta, imported from Italy and made from organic durum wheat semolina.
I made this pasta for dinner last night with Trader Joe’s TOMATO BASIL MARINARA sauce (a bargain at $1.99 and it’s excellent). OK, as I am a “cook” and can’t just open a jar and be done with it, I did add two cloves of garlic and a 1/2 shallot sauteed in a tablespoon of olive oil then added a 1/2 jar of the sauce (for two portions). Trust me it made it even better but you could go the easy route and just open a jar.
These radiatore cook pretty fast due to shape, in about 9 minutes. I probably took them out a minute before that (ie, pre-al dente) as I would cook them more in the sauce. I dumped the drained pasta into my pan with my sauce, added about a 1/4 of the pasta water, tossed them over and over for about a minute to let them marry and absorb some sauce till al dente.
I was going to serve peas on the side but as I was making this, my wife suggested I just toss everything in together. Which was actually a great idea as the peas add a nice flavor and texture and got into the nooks of the radiatore. Grated on some of my favorite TJ ROSEMARY ASIAGO which I especially love with pasta.
The texture and taste of this radiatore pasta was perfect and we really loved this dish we came up with “radiatore with peas in tomato sauce” which can now go into rotation. Try this combo! Super easy and delicious, not to mention a bit healthier with added vegetable protein. A little salad and bread made it all perfect.
The best thing? Pantry meal. Everything came out of the pantry (and freezer) so a perfect idea for when “you don’t have anything” in the fridge.
Delicious easy dinner for two, which probably cost less than 3 bucks.
Equally good would be the simplest pasta using this radiatore; just Butter and Cheese. Use lots of both.
I would buy these again. — (UPDATE: I looked for them today to buy more and didn’t see them on the shelves…. )
PASTA WITH PEAS recipe (pasta al piselli)
Toss your pasta into salted boiling water. Whatever time it says on the package, you will subract one or two minutes for “pre-al dente”. In a pan or pot, put a tablespoon of olive oil, and a nice pat of butter. (optional) Add 2 cloves of sliced garlic, and cook till golden. You could also add in 1/2 shallot too if you have one, or a 1/4 onion.
Add your favorite jarred (or homemade) sauce to the pan. When the pasta is “pre-al dente” (tests a little hard) add that to the pan and cook, adding in some pasta water (1/4 cup?). Toss in some frozen peas (1/2-1 cup as you wish) Toss everything over and over to mix and cook for about a minute or so, cooking the pasta just till it becomes al dente. That means “to the tooth” just after the pasta is no longer hard to bite and not soft or mushy. Italians hate overcooked pasta.
Plate and top with a nice amount of freshly grated ASIAGO cheese (or Parmagiano or Pecorino) and serve. Bread and a salad will round this out nicely into a dinner
Portions: for two people I usually figure about a 1/2 lb (half the package) pasta, and for sauce about a 1/2 jar but your ratio may vary. Again, Italians like just enough sauce to coat the pasta well but not to have pasta swimming in sauce the way most Americans think you make it.
They say this: “Trader Joe’s Butter Chicken with Basmati Rice is the ultimate #Cookinghacks for this dish. Our Butter Chicken showcases chunks of chicken enrobed in a mild, mouth-watering curry crafted of crushed tomatoes, cream, onions, garlic, ginger, butter…Spiced just so, and partnered with delicate, fragrant grains of Basmati rice, it’s ready to heat and enjoy. Serve it with our other frozen Indian fare – TJ’s Palak Paneer, TJ’s Channa Masala, TJ’s Tandoori Naan – for a feast. Don’t forget the TJ’s Mango Ginger Chutney & sliced cucumbers!” https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/butter-chicken-with-basmati-rice-099032
Search for this, and you learn that it comes up as one of Trader Joe’s most popular items with a pretty loyal following. Trader Joe’s has carried this forever, and it seems to have quite a lot of fans. I had not tried it till now though. Here’s my honest review with what I liked about it, plus as well as things I think could be improved on.
The Good: This is actually quite a tasty Indian chicken dish. The price is very attractive at $4.49. The flavor of this is quite good, with a rich tomato-y sauce. The chicken (I think white meat?) is perfectly cooked and not at all dried out; it’s tender and juicy coated with a tasty, creamy tomato sauce, which includes concentrated tomatoes, cream, butter and spices. The package says this whole thing is just 400 calories. I mean the portion is not huge. They give you mostly rice of course.
I think NAAN is worth eating with this, so you might want some with this too, to scoop up the sauce.
(THEIR PICTURE FROM THE TJ WEBSITE)(you can see about 3 or 4 pieces of chicken)
The Not So Good: I was surprised at the small amount of chicken they actually give you. I wish they gave you a bit more of it, as will you. Which makes me wonder, was it always so? I wacked a picture, probably old, off their website about the product. In that product picture, it looks like they show about six decent sized pieces of chicken. In the package we got, I counted about 4 pieces. Has the amount changed over the last year or so, as ingredient costs have gone up? Someone let me know please via the Comment section, if you’ve gotten this for years, if you think they cut back on the amount of chicken now as opposed to in the past. I just kind of suspect to keep the price the same there may be some shrinkflation ?
I found the basmati rice that comes with this just OK. Less flavorful than if I made my own Trader Joe’s Basmati Rice, which I assume might be a better quality Basmati rice. The taste of this one seemed less and its a bit under seasoned and maybe even undercooked.
A main selling point of this “whole meal” is of course, convenience in that it comes with rice already made. Me, I’m a rice freak, I make rice, daily many times. So frankly I’m not the typical target audience as I can put up a pot of rice in minutes. Hey, my wife’s Asian, and we can have rice 5 days in a row.
I think the rice could stand for a pinch might stand for a pinch of salt. Or put the sauce over the rice as it may balance out. I did not find the dish as a whole salty, nor spicy. I think I would call this “mild” Indian, not spicy, nor has a ton of seasonings and cream of course which mellows things. Ingredients include garlic, ginger, spices….
TIP: If you want to make this into a more substantial meal you could add a can of drained chick peas (99 cents) into this. I did. After the sauce is defrosted enough to take out the chicken, add a half (or whole can) of drained chick peas. Or you could add another dish perhaps make the excellent CHANNA MASALA chick peas in a tasty sauce to serve along with this. With that two people might be able to enjoy the two dishes as a meal.
Ingredients look pretty normal and natural without additives.
If for example you took this to work for your lunch, it would make a nice easy meal, only needing tossing into the microwave. Or don’t feel like cooking, add a salad and this could suffice as dinner. Drizzle perhaps with some greek yogurt and serve with their very good Mango Chutney.
They would be absolutely perfect to serve to guests over the holidays!
These are a wonderfully delicious French butter cookie, coated with a layer of excellent chocolate.
Trader Joe’s says this: “These Cookies are, indeed, made for us in France. The usual cookie-dough suspects—flour, sugar, egg yolks, milk, leavening, and salt—are combined with cultured French butter (13% of the recipe) to create a dough that is shaped into thin rounds. The baked biscuits are coated in rich, Dark Chocolate (40% of the recipe), yielding an exquisite Cookie that is at the same time: smooth, crunchy, chocolate-y, and buttery!”
Even if these didn’t have any chocolate, you would say these were great butter cookies. But they were dipped in chocolate, coated with a nice generous bit of excellent French chocolate too, which puts them out of this world.
These were a big hit with both of us. We really found these to be a super delicious treat.
My only problem with these? There’s way too few of them in the package! So you may want to buy at least two.
$2.99/package (4.76 oz)
Someone at my local TJ’s came up with “try with a dollop of peanut butter”. Yeah, baby.
Trader Joe’s got two new artisan pastas in this month. A spiral radiatore and this SQUARE shaped rigatoni. Both look perfect for our favorite (hearty?) sauce.
I got the square rigatoni to start with for review as I have never seen a square rigatoni before and could not resist trying it. It looks cool, right? First thing I thought was this: but after cooking is this going to stay square when it’s softer?! Well guess what, the answer: YES it does stay square as you can see….
TJ’s says this: ” What makes this pasta noteworthy? It starts with the Italian pasta maker sourcing high-quality, organic, and local durum wheat semolina, then going the extra mile to mill the flour themselves. High-quality tools are equally essential —bronze-coated extruders are used to produce thick, textured noodles that deliver a perfectly al dente texture, which helps support the heftiness of its partnered sauce while maintaining a delicate chew….Pair this uniquely shaped Pasta with a hearty Bolognese sauce and be in awe of how much sauce clings to, and even fills, each noodle. It is a natural choice for baked pasta dishes, as it can hold up well in a casserole without losing its shape.”
I just made the simplest pasta that day just to test it out quickly just butter and cheese; We liked this pasta quite a bit. Its great and tasty of course as I’ve found all of the artisan pastas from Italy the sell are (these are all high end pastas, organic durum semolina, bronze die cut….) But ideally this shape will excel and be perfect for a heartier sauce, especially something like a Bolognese or ragu, meat sauce as they suggest, or a baked pasta. Greek Pastitsio anyone?
Cooking time on the bag is 13-14 minutes. This two new ones including this one were $1.99 (1 lb) I would buy it again (PS they say these two new pastas are LIMITED editions, grab them while you can)
“Coffee was originally introduced to farmers by the Thai Royal Family… This relatively unknown region of the coffee world has blossomed into one of the top 20 coffee producers worldwide…. 100% Arabica beans, Mae Kha Jan, Chiang Mai small lot coffee is medium roasted producing a coffee with full body and notes of cherry and dark chocolate.”
“This relatively unknown region of the coffee world has blossomed into one of the top 20 coffee producers worldwide”.
“Relatively unknown”? To me, unknown for sure as I don’t think I’ve ever come across a coffee Thailand before, and I am pretty sure this is the first Thai coffee I’ve tasted.
Here’s my honest review of this new Thai coffee.
Is this latest TJ’s Small Lot coffee find any good? Is it worth you’re buying?
I answer with a huge, “YES” to both questions. Color me very impressed.
I don’t know if most of the coffee from Thailand is anywhere near this good, but all I can say is I found Trader Joe’s newestsmall lot coffee, Thailand Mae Kha Jan Chiang Raireally tasted fabulous.
One of our readers, commented that, “it’s divine” and I agree. This small lot coffee is right up there with the very best of all those Trader Joe’s has come out with. Sure, I think they had a few clunkers here and there, but the coffee finders at Trader Joe’s who travel the world looking for good coffee made by small producers, have from time to time, brought back some really excellent finds over the years to us coffee lovers, and this is one of them.
I ground up the beans, which smelled lovely, then brewed the coffee up, as usual, in my Moka pot. The aroma of it brewing smelled great. It even produced some crema too as you can see.
My cup of coffee was smooth and full bodied, well rounded with no off notes anywhere. Yes one can easily detect subtle notes of cherry and dark chocolate, as they describe on the package. I found this coffee just so pleasant to drink. I think it’s my new current favorite at Trader Joe’s.
It is quite accurately described as being a Medium Roast, which in this case it is exactly and I found perfect for it’s flavor profile.
Here’s some more of what Trader Joe’s has to say about this Thai coffee:
“Thailand has become a rising star in the coffee world over the past few decades. Much of this coffee production happens in the northern Thai border region, commonly called the Golden Triangle. It’s from this region that we get the small lot Trader Joe’s Thailand Mae Kha Jan Chiang Rai blend.
As part of our Small Lot Coffee Series, these beans are sourced from the Mae Kha Han Mill, one of the top dry coffee mills in Thailand. Although the mill is in the lowlands, the coffee is grown in the high mountains around it, at elevations between 1,100 and 1,500 meters. This Coffee is fully washed with a 12- to 24-hour wet fermentation process where the pulp is removed and the beans are fermented in water. This method, common in Thailand and Indonesia, results in a clean, consistent flavor. Each sip offers tasting notes of dark chocolate and cherry.”
This is just so good you can’t stop drinking it. As you know the Small Lot coffees are “limited editions”, they won’t be around forever. If you see this, I’d offer up this Small Lot coffee is well worth trying, as long as you can find it. $9.99 (12 oz) For this level of coffee quality, that’s not bad.
I went back and bought another bag of this for my pantry.
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