“Have you heard about umami? You’ve most certainly tasted it, even if you’ve never heard the word. Umami is the word used to describe the fifth taste – in addition to sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. Taken from Japanese, the word translates to ‘pleasant savory taste’, and really, it’s just that. And it’s really just something you’re going to want to put on everything. To create this Umami Seasoning Blend, we began with kosher salt, and used a flavor base of porcini and white button mushrooms – earthy mushroom flavor really is the cornerstone of umami, which is why we named it Mushroom & Company. The ingredient list also includes onion, mustard seed, red & black pepper, and thyme… If you follow an eating plan like we do, also known as Anything and Everything, Trader Joe’s Mushroom & Company Multipurpose Umami Seasoning Blend will elevate the flavors of Anything and Everything, a sprinkle at a time” – Trader Joe’s
I’ve read some discussions on Reddit where people wonder if this seasoning actually “does anything”. Trust me, it does. Trader Joe’s Mushroom & Company Multipurpose Seasoning Blend is useful. It contains two kinds of mushrooms, porcini and button, along with other seasonings. Mushrooms contain glutamates. Glutamates give food that “umami” taste.
Sometimes when I’m making something and it just tastes a little flat, and I don’t know what to add to make it taste better, I frequently turn and try adding a bit of this seasoning (aka Magic Mushroom Powder) and it usually does just the trick of making things just taste better. Seriously you won’t know until you’ve tried this magic powder. For just one little instance where I use this really useful is ground turkey. I add this seasoning to ground turkey to improve it’s bland flavor, for example making turkey burgers. They are vastly improved with the Umami seasoning. Or chicken, fish, veggies, tofu, eggs or frankly anything for that matter.
As this blend does contains some salt, you want to use a little less salt than you normally might add, Use this and correct the seasoning to see if any additional salt is needed. However I don’t find this seasoning blend to be a salt bomb, it’s got a lot of other ingredients. I’ve even come up with using this seasoning to create a little veggie broth in a pinch.
Fried shallots, particularly crispy fried shallots, are a popular topping or garnish in various cuisines, adding a savory and crunchy element to dishes. I have read so many Thai, Vietnamese, Indian or other recipes that start with frying up some shallots till crispy for a topping to be used later. Many South East Asian dishes use them for a finishing touch. Cooks here just love them though they are a bit of a pain to make, so to just open up this package and have some to use makes these super handy.
Trader Joe’s came out this new item, a foil pouch of fried shallots which you can use in various ways. They have a very crispy texture, nice delicate flavor and a little bit of crunch. The foil pouch has a seal so they will stay crispy too.
Crispy shallot slices are fantastic sprinkled over all kinds of things, for example chicken, fish, chops and burgers, and just as good on salads or vegetables.
Trader Joe’s has say this about them which includes a few ideas and ways for us to use them:
“Made for us by an esteemed supplier in Thailand, who specializes in crispy-fried veggies like these… we love about this versatile, tasty topper. We also love that sprinkling of Trader Joe’s Fried Shallots will spruce up a salad, soup, or chili-laden baked potato. We adore how they wake up the flavors of a weeknight casserole or slice of leftover pizza. We’re utterly taken with the texture they add when used as a topping for a taco, burger, or sandwich. And we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention how head over heels we are over their uses in savory baking, homemade appetizer dips, or, when given a spin in the food processor, as super flavorful breading for a chicken cutlet.”
“….tart, tangy, and umami-rich flavor…. Traditionally made with a base of rice vinegar, bonito broth, rice wine, and some manner of citrus juice, Ponzu is a pitch-perfect sauce for seasoning fish for poke and sashimi, but that’s hardly where we’d stop. Made for us by an expert supplier in Japan, Trader Joe’s Ponzu Sauce can add an element of sweetness, savoriness, and richness to all sorts of dishes, from the simplest of rice bowls to the most complex of marinades.” – TJ website
Ponzu is a classic, traditional Japanese sauce which gives umami flavor to things and is usually made with soy sauce plus yuzu citrus. This version is a soy sauce (shoyu ponzu).
Here’s just one idea to make a super easy summer dish. Take a piece of the very good organic SILKEN TOFU, and pour on ponzu sauce. Done. If you want, add chopped scallions, maybe sesame seeds. That’s just one example of how I use this ponzu sauce.
Trader Joe’s version of ponzu is quite tasty. Savory with citrus-y notes and a little sweetness. Even my (Japanese) wife gave this ponzu a thumbs up.
You can use it as a marinade for chicken or fish, then glaze it on at the end and serve on the size as a dipping sauce too. I have found this a very useful item to have in the fridge.
“….for pretty much any savory application in the kitchen, and especially so for making flavorful salad dressings, dipping with tempura, pan-fried gyoza, and other crispy appetizers, or mixing into burger patties for an extra bonito-powered boost of umami.”
Great for a dumpling dipping sauce too. If you want spicy mix in some chili crisp.
If you want even more citrus flavor (I do) just add a squeeze of lemon juice.
Asian style salad dressing Mix some ponzu with a little lemon juice and tahini.
Here’s what they have to say about their new SPICY DYNAMITE Sauce: “Made with a base of vegan mayo, the ingredients to our Spicy Dynamite Sauce read like a list of greatest gastronomic hits: Pickled chili peppers! Sesame oil! Garlic! Horseradish-mustard paste! It all adds up to one superlatively full-flavored profile, with notes of heat, sweet, and umami, and a captivatingly creamy texture. We like it on and with everything , and we mean everything: French fries, chicken nuggets, poke bowls, grilled salmon, roasted broccoli, baked potatoes, burgers, sandwiches, fish tacos, scrambled eggs—seriously, you name it, and this Sauce will work like Dynamite.”
First off, let me just state, this is SERIOUSLY spicy. Let me say that again. This is HOT STUFF.
Absolutely spicydelicious as Bourdain used to say. I really liked it. A vegan mayo with a lot of tasty ingredients that will spice up and add flavor to whatever you put it on. And you can put it on everything. I mean everything.
How spicy is it? Very. I quickly realized how spicy this actually was and that a little went a long way. So use sparingly. I just used a few small dollops of it and got the effect. I even toned it down, mixing it into other things, like yogurt and mayonnaise , ketchup, and liked all these sauce combos I made. TIP: When cold it’s quite thick and a little hard to control squeezing a small amount. So do that carefully lest you get too much coming out of the bottle.
This is a very good sauce with a lot of flavor. Just know that its going to bring the heat.
“A light, bright, lemon and almond based pesto with savory Grana Padano cheese and a touch of black pepper.”
“SIMPLY STIR A FEW TABLESPOONS WITH HOT PASTA AND SERVE WITH FRESH GRATED CHEESE”
Ingredients: Sunflower oil, lemon, water, Grana Padano cheese, almonds, sugar, lemon zest, salt, lactic acid, natural flavors, veg and fruit juice (for color) yeast extract, black pepper.
This was a LIMITED product which was released some time back and lots of people clamored about it and said this was a Must Try product. Later it seemed to vanish from the shelves for some time but it’s now back in stock once again (bought June 2025).
TJ’s says: “This enchanting concoction is light, bright, a little cheesy, a little nutty, and positively bursting with Lemon flavor—a dazzling example of culinary wizardry. Inspired by a pasta dish from Italy’s Amalfi coast (where lemon is a key element of local cuisine), our Italian supplier crushes whole lemons and combines them with sunflower seed oil, savory Grana Padano cheese, almonds, a touch of salt, a pinch of black pepper, and extra lemon zest for good, citrusy measure. When we say this limited edition, lip-smacking Sauce adds magic to mealtimes, it’s not hyperbole. Stir it into Organic Mafalda Corta Pasta with Fresh Mozzarella Cheese Pearls and chopped mint. Spread it on a toasted baguette and top with Sliced Prosciutto. Dollop it on grilled All Natural Thin- Sliced Chicken Breasts or shrimp kabobs. With each wave of your wand… er, spoon, you may even be inspired to incant “Presto, Lemon Pesto!”
“Lemon Pesto”? An interesting concept. Invented by the same Italian manufacturer who makes Trader Joe’s ROSATELLA sauce. Inspired by the Amalifi coast where lemon is a big thing.
Is this pesto a bit controversial? Perhaps. Some people call it “horrible”. I suspect they are using too much of it in their dish. The maintrick to using this LEMON PESTO successfully is to get the amount right, which will take a little experimentation. This is nothing like standard basil pesto. This Lemon pesto is kind of concentrated. You don’t want to use too much. Less is more. You will have to learn how much to add. Add a few spoons of it into hot (al dente) pasta, plus some of that magic ingredient, your pasta cooking water, cooking and tossing it all in the pan to get everything to come together.
Use too much and you can ruin the dish. So start with adding a big tablespoon, incorporate that, taste it and see how you like it. If you don’t think the flavor is strong enough add a bit more. Less is more with this lemon pesto, so experiment till you get the ratio of pesto to pasta right for your tastes (offhand I’d say two rounded teaspoons of the pesto to about 1/2 pound of pasta, plus a ladle of pasta water was about right for me) As good as it is, I still think a “lemon pasta” made using this pesto sauce will benefit from adding a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, maybe even grilling thin slices of lemon like I did, and sauteed fresh garlic.
As it uses sunflower oil, you definitely should add a finishing touch of a drizzle of some good EVOO. Finish with some fresh grated cheese, Parmigiano, Pecorino, Asiago…. whatever you like and perhaps some chopped basil, parsley or arugula to add an herbal flavor.
Here I used the lemon pesto sauce with TJ’s excellent ORGANIC LEMON TORCHIETTI pasta. The pasta and this lemon pesto matched very well together and is a combo worth trying. I tossed in peas too to add a little more protein.
The pesto can also be use as an ingredient say to put dollop of the sauce on top of grilled chicken breasts or grilled salmon or shrimp. Based on someone saying this can be used in Avocado Toast, I tried that and guess what? It worked! A bit of this in my Avocado made some very tasty Avocado Toast. I used a small amount (1/2 tsp) or so of the pesto, plus fresh lemon juice, mashed into the avocado, and a lot of black pepper.
Here’s a link to a recipe on Trader Joe’s site using the pesto and potatoes for a lemony potato salad. So feel free to experiment.
“The traditional grilling cheese of Cyprus”. A great addition to a barbecue skewer. Browns rather than melts when grilled
IMPORTANT NOTE: They have this cheese as a “seasonal item” in the Spring/Summer, so that’s when when you will find it on the shelves
This “Atalanta brand HALLOUMI cheese” I got at Trader Joe’s at some point last year was one of those items I tried just once and fell absolutely in love with instantly. However trying to find it a month or two later, I could not find it. It was MIA. I was afraid they discontinued it. Say it’s not so, Joe.
Well, I learned they carry this cheese seasonally. It’s one of their “seasonal” items. In this case, they bring it back for warmer months. Starting in the Spring and available most of the Summer (till mid-August maybe?). Trader Joe’s seems to peg this cheese for “grilling” outdoors. Summer grilling. So just note that you will only see this part of the year.
I wish they had it all year round. But here’s a useful Tip: the shelf life is quite long as it’s a cured, brined hard cheese. My package date was good for six months. So I might just stock up on a few packages, for that half+ of the year they don’t have it. You could probably even freeze it. Most cheese, especially harder ones, actually can be frozen (cheese needs to be slow defrosted in the fridge)
If you haven’t tried HALLOUMI before, you have got to check it out. It’s so good grilled. Just delicious.
Halloumi originates from the island of Cyprus. It’s a semi hard cheese brinded made with sheep’s milk with a unique quality: it browns rather than just melts. Therefore you can grill, broil, or pan fry it, until it gets golden brown & delicious. It gets a chewy, meaty texture that is so good!
TJ’s website says: “Atalanta® Halloumi” is made on the island of Cyprus using sheep’s milk. During production, the curds are heated to high temperatures, a process which gives it both its “squeaky” texture and ability to hold its shape when cooked or grilled. Atalanta® ‘s cheesemakers also include a bit of mint, which adds a slight refreshing counterbalance to Halloumi’s natural brininess.”
Some people are making “Halloumi Croutons” with it, which you could make by cutting the cheese into cubes, brown them in a little olive oil and remove for adding to salads or other dishes
The picture below is of a dish I made with the halloumi, tomatoes and a can of white beans. “Crispy halloumi, white beans and tomatoes” I had seen in the NYTimes. The dish is DELICIOUS and its a fairly healthy (vegetarian) dish that we all found to be an excellent; a keeper recipe that is now on monthly rotation for us. I got the recipe from the NY Times (may need registration)
Says “4 servings” (2 of us easily ate the whole thing!)
Olive oil, as needed
1 pound cherry or grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley, plus more for serving
1 teaspoon honey, plus more for serving
½ teaspoon dried oregano or thyme
Salt and black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, butter beans or navy beans, drained
1 (8-ounce) block halloumi, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
½ lemon
Crusty bread (optional), for serving
Preparation
Set broiler to high heat, with a rack positioned in the upper third of the oven, 3 to 4 inches from the heat source.
In a large, ovenproof pan over medium heat, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil with the tomatoes, garlic, parsley, honey and oregano. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes soften and release their juices, about 10 minutes.
Stir in the beans and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Turn off the heat.
Arrange the halloumi slices on top of the tomato-bean mixture in the pan. Transfer the pan to the oven. Broil until the halloumi is golden and crispy on top, about 5 minutes, depending on the oven’s broiler strength.
Drizzle generously with olive oil, squeeze the lemon half over the pan and add a light drizzle of honey. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately, with bread if desired.
Her Halloumi Crouton Salad recipe looks great! (TIKTOK)
These are a good new addition to all of the many wonderful snacks that Trader Joe’s sells. If you like things that are a little Spicy you may love these new rice crackers. These are a little similar to those rice cracker snacks called Rice Cracker Medley. These however have a bit of spice added to them along with the sweet.
These are made from RICE so naturally Gluten Free. Theses don’t have a laundry list of chemical names in the ingredients either, it looks pretty simple.
As a fan in general of “spicy”, albeit not crazy spicy, I found these Just Right in the heat department as the spiciness is counterbalanced by the slight sweetness of the crackers. There are about four or five different shapes. I found they are a really good match with a little cheese.
We found these to be ever so slightly addictive! The two of us could not keep our hand off the package.
(“Caro Sugo” loosely translates to “dear or favorite sauce”)
Trader Joe’s New Item, their CARO SUGO Italian tomato basic pasta sauce seems to be all over the internet with people saying this new Trader Joe’s tomato sauce is Da Bomb. The best pasta sauce ever. That it is better than the highly rated Rao’s (and cheaper).
So I had to check this out for a review. Well, guess what? Sometimes the hype is true. I was really impressed with this. This sauce is SO GOOD.
Its a wonderful tasty sauce. The freshest, most natural tasting, perfect, artisanal tomato sauce, like a sauce that could have been cooked by your Italian nonna back in Italy. I found this as good as everybody seems to be saying it is. A 10 out of 10.
Caro Sugo just has such a fresh, natural taste from excellent probably freshly harvested tomatoes plus Italian olive oil and fresh (not dried) garlic, and whole basil leaves. It’s got bits of tomato, a few little chunks. It’s not smooth like many jarred sauces are. Meaning not over processed.
Imported of course, this sauce is produced in Italy for Trader Joe’s. Specifically from the region of Puglia, which is the “heel of the boot” on a map. The supplier who makes this also grows the tomatoes, picks them and processes them. Close to where they are grown, so the tomatoes are as fresh as possible and you can actually taste that freshness.
TJ’s : “….Our supplier not only makes this sauce, but also grows the sweet, juicy tomatoes that make it so special. The rest of the ingredients are simple and fresh, including olive oil, diced onion & chopped garlic (not powders), chopped fresh basil, and sea salt. The only “dried” ingredient is oregano, which was chosen purposefully for its more concentrated flavor.
What will you do with Trader Joe’s Caro Sugo Italian Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce? The answer is: anything you like! As you can imagine, it’s delicious with your favorite TJ’s pasta or ravioli. Try it with our Homestyle Angus Beef Meatballs on a Sandwich Roll topped with melted Sliced Provolone. You’ll also find this Tomato Sauce shines on pizzas, in shakshuka, or even as a dipping sauce for our Breaded Mozzarella Cheese Sticks!”
As they say do not limit yourself to just thinking of this pasta sauce. This sauce is a great sauce for cooking. PIZZA? Yes, I am thinking. I definitely want to try making a pizza using this Caro Sugo sauce and the Mozzarella log for one thing. My dough is developing now in the fridge. I will report back here with pix!
This is a Must Try. Granted this costs more than some other quite good pasta Trader Joe’s sauces which cost less than half the price ($1.99) However if you want to taste an artisanal imported Italian sauce which is truly Gourmet Level, this is well worth trying at least once. People who have are saying they go back and buy a few jars at a time.
CARO SUGO Italian tomato basic pasta sauce $4.99 (24 oz)
PIzza made with this Caro Sugo sauce (my wife said I should have used more sauce). I made dough but you can buy TJ’s dough. Whole milk mozz. Fresh basil. It was yummy.
“…while it is indeed incredibly delicious on some crispy-fried chicken, that’s just the beginning, as far as we’re concerned. We recommend trying it on everything from roasted veggies to grilled short ribs, air-fried salmon, shrimp tacos, and omelettes. Frankly, we’ll even use it as a dip for French fries… or as sauce on a homemade Pizza topped with Pepper Jack Cheese, Spicy Chicken Nuggets, and cilantro or green onions (trust us on this one—it’s delicious.)”
This new sauce is getting a lot of notice all over the internet. I was familiar with this Korean sauce as a family member made a homemade one, so got the new Trader Joe’s one to try out and review.
I like it. It has sugar, soy sauce, red miso, molasses, ginger, rice vinegar, red pepper and sesame oil. Very tasty. While not quite as good as homemade versions of the sauce that I’ve tasted, this commercial version is still quite tasty.
It’s a dark sauce which is a bit thick and it’s just loaded with umami. It had a slight spicy back note but it’s not crazy spicy. This will be great on lots of things. Certainly most any Asian dish, especially noodles. Especially SQUIGGLY NOODLES plus all the things they list: chicken, salmon, and other fish, shrimp, omelettes. I want to try the pizza idea they mention with chicken and pepper jack cheese….!
This new Trader Joe’s item is kind of good news if you are a ORANGE MARMALADE fan. Again, “kind of”
Trader Joe’s used to sell a really good marmalade. Their SEVILLE ORANGE MARMALADE was terrific. Outstanding. A proper marmalade made with Seville Oranges. It was one of the best orange marmalades I ever had. I loved it. Unfortunately Trader Joe’s famously discontinued it (back in 2019). Argh!!.
My review of that marmalade plus the fact that they had discontinued an outstanding product, happens to be one of the most Commented posts on this entire site. One of the biggest RANTS here. Everyone who loved it and used to buy it was pissed as hell that they discontinued it. People were shocked, aghast, angry and dismayed that an excellent product got the ax, and wrote in the Comments here to voice that anger. Over 80 people took the time and effort to Comment and complain.
Well guess what? About 5 years after they discontinued it, Trader Joe’s has just come out with this NEW ITEM. Trader Joe’s Seville Orange Marmalade Fruit Spread (ok, its “marmalade fruit spread”) Frankly I was pretty surprised to see it . I had to try it and review it. While not exactly the same, it is orange marmalade and I do find it very tasty. But! Its a “fruit spread” (meaning not as thick and tight)
The new marmalade fruit spread is a product of Belgium. That older (true) marmalade was from Canada.
So how is it? Its a bit of a mixed bag. It is orange marmalade made from Seville oranges and actually tasty. Is it as good as the old one? There are some obvious differences, the first being the added words “fruit spread”.
A) VISCOSITY: This is looser than that original marmalade. A “fruit spread” is not as tight / thick as jam or marmalade. This contains apple juice concentrate for one thing. It is much less viscous (thick) Runnier than a true marmalade.
B) SIZE. The original Seville Orange marmalade came in a big jar of about 17 ounces. This jar is just 7.5 ounces. Less than half the size of that old marmalade. Yet it costs about the same. So twice the price of the old one, and as less thick so will you use a bit more?
The ingredients on the old one (pictured below with a yellow green label) were: SUGAR, SEVILLE ORANGE PEEL, SEVILLE ORANGE JUICE. Plus pectin , the natural gelling agent in fruit.
(this is the label on the old jar of marmalade from 2019)(label of the new version, marmalade fruit spread)
This version lists sugar and Seville oranges but alsoapple juice from concentrate as the ingredient after Seville oranges. Which is why I assume this is described as ORANGE MARMALADE FRUIT SPREAD and not simply “Marmalade”. Now Trader Joe’s says something about this, and even puts a positive spin on it….
“A great marmalade is a bit of a balancing act. First, you’ve got to balance the sweetness of the fruit juice and sugar involved with the tartness of the citrus and bitterness of the orange rind. Then, you’ve got to find just the right balance of fruit and rind within the physical makeup of the marmalade—too much fruit, and it’s more like a jelly, too much rind, and it’s an overly-chewy mess. Luckily, when we decided to bring in a seasonal Seville Orange Marmalade Fruit Spread to our shelves, we had some real experts in our corner. Made by the same supplier in Belgium who previously demonstrated their mastery of balance with our Apricot Cardamom and Green Tea Yuzu spreads, this sweet, citric, and properly proportioned Marmalade is a triumph of harmonious flavors and textures on the palate.” – Trader Joe’s
So while I I like the taste of TJ’s new “orange marmalade fruit spread” of course as a fruit spread it’s not as thick as it would be called just “orange marmalade”. I’m glad I can buy something akin to orange marmalade at Trader Joe’s again, period. But. Its a tiny jar. My jar went fast. Again, so a bit of a mixed bag.
Cost: This small 7.5 oz jar will go much faster than the 17 oz one of course especially as its not as thick and concentrated. The new marmalade costs more than double what the old one cost. Granted it was 2019 but the old bigger jar went for $3.50.
Some people might actually like this “marmalade fruit spread” who may not like the (thicker) more intense versions of marmalade they might have tried in the past. There is a whole “thick cut” versus “thin cut” camp. I suspect TJ’s is trying to please more people with this version? If you are a marmalade lover, at least this is worth trying, even if not “ideal” for the true English marmalade lover.
Trader Joe’s Rants & Raves (mostly raves, a few rants) 
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