“Made for us by an expert supplier in Vietnam, each box contains eight miniature, clamshell-style Bao laden with a well-seasoned shrimp patty, as well as a sweet and sticky lemongrass, lime, and chili sauce for dipping.”
There are a fairly New Item in the Asian frozen section at Trader Joe’s that they introduced a short while back. These are “mini bao”, soft and fluffy bao buns with a shrimp patty inside, that comes with a some dipping sauce. They’re a product of Vietnam, where a lot of shrimp are produced.
I got them to try out and review. Each little mini bun is just a couple of bites. The patty inside is made of shrimp, cornstarch as a binder (its actually the second ingredient!) plus scallions, lemon grass, garlic….
“Heating Instructions (Steamer) Remove frozen bao from packaging and put in a steamer or double boiler. Steam for 6-8 minutes until heated through. Let rest for one minute.” (you can microwave these too)
COOKING: Bao are traditionally steamed so that’s what I tried using a metal steamer basket and a pot with a cover.
The two times I cooked these I had a problem with the bottoms of the soft buns sticking to the steamer. The buns are so soft and the bottom had a tendency to stick to my basket. They got a bit stuck on. I tried to lift one gently and carefully and not rip it, but some of the bottom bun was just stuck and ripped. Oh well. The second time I even tried the traditional method for making dimsum and buns where you brush a little oil on the steamer. The sticking was a little better that time, however they still got a little bit stuck and ripped on me.
So if I made them again I would try either brushing more oil on the steamer basket, or putting them on something like a lettuce leaf or parchment or oiled tin foil, very traditional with bao or soft dim sum doughs. So just FYI. Maybe this will not be an issue using a microwave? I didn’t try that method.
How do these taste? Pretty good. The little bao buns are fluffy and soft and a little chewy. The shrimp patties are also soft and had a pretty nice taste, where you can taste that they are made with shrimp. The dipping sauce that comes with these has lemon grass and ginger and is a pretty nice match flavor-wise. Naturally you could also add something to their sauce (like Chili Crunch or LaoGanMa for example) A squeeze of fresh lime or lemon would not be amiss. I also tried some SWEET CHILI SAUCE and that went well with these and was good mixing their sauce with that.
TIP: As these are just soft, you need to add a little bit of veggie for texture. As per the “serving suggestion” on the package which says, “top with julienned cucumbers, carrots and cilantro”. You have to add a few veggies for the contrast in texture with the soft bun. Even a few slivers of cukes, carrots, or scallions will make these taste way better.
Cilantro? If you are a fan of cilantro that would be good (people seems to either love or hate cilantro. I love it).
I was able to make these into dinner for two with some other things. The two of us ate 4 buns each with fried rice and a little salad which proved satisfying. So either think of these as a snack or appetizer or you can make them into a dinner by adding something substantial along with them.
SHRIMP HACK? I did have one idea if you really want to improve these. Add shrimp! My hack with these if I make them again would be to add a cooked shrimp, butterflied and put that on top of the shrimp patty. Drizzle with sauce. I think that would make these outstanding.
Find these in the Frozen Asian section at Trader Joe’s. $4.99 for 8 mini buns (10.5 oz.)
“Moist, flavorful lemon cake topped with lemon cream cheese frosting and sprinkled with lemon zest.”
This cake has come back to Trader Joe’s shelves. This lemony sheet cake is yet another addition to their very popular line of of “mini sheet cakes”. This lemon one is in addition to the chocolate and Chantilly creme versions, plus a gluten free cake as well.
I heard this lemon version of the cake is popular and sells out fairly quickly. While I prefer the chocolate one as the best of them all, I did like this lemon version. My host who shared it with me, liked it but a bit less than me. She said it not wasn’t anywhere as good as the dark chocolate ganache sheet cake. Which I understand as I love the chocolate version of this sheet cake. Still I did find the lemon one tasty, the cake is pretty moist and the sour cream and cream cheese frosting pretty good, if a bit rich and on the sweet side. I think they could cut down the sugar. So try this with perhaps tea or coffee.
It has a mildly lemony flavor from some lemon zest. If you grated some fresh zest over this cake it might be a knock out and worth the extra effort.
I had to choose between the lemon and chocolate one I would pick the chocolate cake however this is a nice change if you are looking for something other than chocolate. The CHANTILLY CREME white cake is also good, and I hear there’s a gluten free mini sheet cake now as well.
“Drizzle on as a finishing oil for salads and roasted vegetables.”
Ingredients: Extra virgin olive oil, fresh Sicilian lemons
This was a new fall product at Trader Joe’s which got a little buzz around it. A nice extra virgin oil with a hint of lemony flavor.
LIMONE PREMUTO – a “cold pressed extra virgin olive oil with whole fresh Sicilian lemons” ($7.99 for about 8 oz)
This is for the real foodies. These types of oils are called “agrumato”.
Agrumato olive oil – “simultaneously crushing olives with fresh herbs or fruits together for exceptional flavor, distinct aromatics.”
It just says “Product of Italy”, so unclear to me if the oil is also from Sicily but I would assume it probably is. Other vendors of this type of (agrumato oil) usually say something like “this distinctive product is made by crushing fresh olives and Sicilian citrus fruits together. This unique process results in an extra virgin olive oil with a vibrant, bright citrus finish. The combination of olives and citrus fruits creates an oil that not only adds a refreshing twist but also brings an authentic taste of Sicily to your kitchen.”
This olive oil has a lovely flavor with that little bit of bitterness that hits the back of your throat, which is a sign of a high quality extra virgin oil that is fresh. There’s no visible lemon pulp or rind, its been filtered out but the oil looks a little cloudy from the pressing with the citrus. The lemon flavoring is subtle, just a hint in the background, its not strong at all. You want to taste this oil and you do.
When I’ve used this I’ve found that if I squeeze on some fresh lemon juice as well, it really improves everything, so suggest trying that. This is good as they say on salads and roasted vegetables, but you could drizzle it on practically anything, such as a pasta, or as a dipping for bread.
Trader Joe’s LIMONE PREMUTO costs $8 for just over 8 oz. In contrast TJ’s sells a 17 oz bottle of excellent SICILIAN EVOO for about $12 (which used to cost $10!) That Sicilian oil is double the size of this bottle. If I add a squeeze of fresh lemon and perhaps even a little lemon zest on my dish and get a similar effect, albeit my lemon is not Sicilian! Therefore though I like this oil, it’s a “specialty oil”, a little splurge. Still, you would be drizzling on just a bit of this. On a budget I would probably buy the bigger bottle of their Sicilian EVOO and add my own lemon, or garlic as desired.
Just for comparison, here’s a similar item on amazon, same size, $20 https://amzn.to/4kXGv8Z
Worth trying if you are into olive oils and can afford it for a small bottle. Otherwise I’d say go for the bigger bottle of the SICILIAN oil at TJ’s.
TJ’s says: “One of our perennial favorite (cheeses) is Trader Joe’s Toscano Cheese with Black Pepper, an exceptional cheese that you don’t have to save for a special occasion. As it ages, each wheel of cheese is hand-rubbed with cracked black pepper, so every wedge features a burst of mildly spicy pepper flavor—the closer you get to the outside of the wheel, the more pronounced the flavor becomes, yet it’s never overpowering. Serve it on crackers, grated over pasta or shaved onto a freshly prepared steak.”
This TOSCANO cheese is one of my favorite cheeses that Trader Joe’s carries. I find this to be quite special. The Toscano cheeses kind of tastes like Asiago. There are a few varieties of them. Here the black pepper, on the rind and in the cheese, adds quite a bit to the overall flavor profile. However the black pepper doesn’t overpower the wonderful cheese, it just adds a little something extra. They also have other versions of Toscano. Another good one being the one with a “Syrah” wine coating.
I like it on its own, sliced very thinly with Wheat Crisp crackers. It’s great with fruit, like sliced apples or grapes. With pasta? Excellent. I like to grate this over pasta. Superb with any pasta sauce or just butter and cheese using this.
This is a really nice cheese, but all the “Toscano” ones at Trader Joe’s are. A hunk now usually runs about 5-6 bucks ($10.99 lb)
“Traditional all butter Belgian biscuits”MADE IN BELGIUM
Fresh tasting. No preservatives. Super simple ingredients, the important one being butter of course. These are so buttery tasting as well as having a nice crunchy texture from the ridged waffle design.
They’re terrific, either on their own or paired with all kinds of things, sweet or savory.
I could easily see making an ice cream sandwich with them, just putting some ice cream (french vanilla?) between two cookies. Or just putting one on the side of your favorite ice cream. Or just eating with a cup of tea or coffee. So yummy. You can not go wrong with these cookies, and they’re three bucks no less.
I loved these.I would buy them again
Belgian Butter Waffle Cookies$2.99 (8.8 oz.)
“Each all-butter wafer is baked to a crispy golden brown that creates a straightforward, delicious waffle cookie ready to enjoy at any time. The flavor is somewhere between a freshly baked waffle cone and shortbread cookie and is as simple as cookies come, but oh, so delicious. Super buttery, with the ideal amount of sweetness, these Belgian Butter Waffle Cookies are more versatile than you may expect. Whether you are looking for an authentic European snack to accompany a cup of tea or a mug of coffee, a companion for ice cream, or a counterpart to cheese, cured meats, and peppers, Trader Joe’s Belgian Butter Waffle Cookies have a place in your shopping cart, your pantry, and your tummy.”
Trader Joe’s came out with this new version of their popular “SQUIGGLY RUFFLED NOODLES”. The newer version has a black package and a different sauce from the original. I finally got around to trying the new flavor. I have to say I was pretty surprised.
The newer version comes with a way better sauce. So much better. I mean I had suggested one throw out the sauce package in the other (soy and sesame) red package version and make your own! Now you don’t have to.
The newer flavor with the “spicy garlic sesame sauce” sauce packet is so much better than the original flavor.
So my advice about the two kinds they have is, I would buy this version (black package) over the original version (Soy/Sesame, red package).
Not only did they fix the newer version up with a better sauce, they even somehow managed to reduce the Sodium content at the same time. So color me impressed.
Each noodle pack here comes with two little sauce packets. One is labeled “Sesame Seed Paste“. The other, “Creamy Spicy Garlic Sauce“. You mix them together. The combined flavors make a decent sauce. Why are they separate? Because the sesame paste clumps up. So much so that it’s hard to squeeze out as so thick and clumpy. TIP: Some people recommend squishing it up to mix. I now put it in very hot water for a few minutes then do that. I even cut the packet open with a pair of scissors, and use a small spoon to scrape out all the dark sesame paste. A bit messy but worth the trouble as this dark (probably roasted?) Asian sesame paste has a ton of flavor.
How spicy is it? To me, I didn’t find it very spicy. Mildly spicy? But of course your mileage may vary, as spice tolerance is so personal. I would say unless you are super sensitive to spiciness, this is at most “mildly spicy”. Certainly not “Hot Ones” level spicy. In fact I wanted it a bit spicier so I even added a little Lao Gan Ma (chili crisp)
my stir fried noodles (with eggs and scallions)
Other than that sauce fix, the noodles themselves seem the same as the original (red) package. Personally I see no point in buying the red package anymore; this (black) one is better, sauce wise. Same noodles and same amount. So that’s the one I now get.
Compared to the original Soy/Sesame version, this Spicy version has a bit less sodium listed, now 700mg sodium here (vs. 920 mg in the original soy and sesame version). That’s good. Especially as the sauce here even tastes better.
If you want to just boil them and mix the sauce in, that’s OK now, which wasn’t the case before with the not great sauce in the red package IMO
Of course, a few other ingredients could improve your dish starting with adding some of your own chopped scallions. I do like the stir fry way though of making these noodles too.
These noodles are not only savory and satisfying but also versatile, making them an ideal addition to various dishes. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or a more elaborate meal, they pair beautifully with vegetables, proteins. In a pinch even just on their own.
At $1.25 per noodle pack, these are an excellent choice for anyone looking to elevate their home cooking without breaking the bank. TIP: Spend another $1.29 on a package of scallions (cilantro too perhaps? a package is $2) and you will have those for other dishes…
How to Cook: If you are just boiling and serving, first prepare your sauce by opening the packet(s) and putting the sauces together into a bowl and mixing them. A teaspoon of water if needed to thin things out. If you have any “topping extras” such as scallions, baked tofu, hard boiled eggs, or cooked veggies you will use on top, prep them up, cut into bite size or noodle like pieces. You will top the noodles with them later.
Boil a pot of water. Add the dried noodles. Cook about 4 minutes; drain yes but leave a little water left on them and put the noodles into your bowl with the sauce. Toss gently to combine the sauce and noodles. Add on your scallions or other ingredients on top. You can mix those in as you eat (or mix now)
Enjoy noodles while they are still hot.
If you are stir frying them, reduce the time boiling them to about a 2-2 1/2 mins. Drain and put in bowl with about a teaspoon of oil. Toss to coat. This prevents them sticking together. Cook your other ingredients, and when ready add the noodles and your sauce (these two packets, or your own plus 1/4 water or stock) and cook about one to two minutes tossing to coat well. Serve.
Can you add anything to the sauce that comes with this? Sure, if you like, you can still add a bit of other things. Like a drizzle of Trader Joe’s Toasted Sesame oil which will add great flavor, or Korean Gochujang sauce, or Lao Gan Ma or CHILI ONION CRUNCH.…. whatever you like.
Like almost any Asian noodle, something as simple as throwing on chopped scallions, or cilantro will add a good deal of Asian flavors. Here I have added the TERIYAKI CHICKEN MEATBALLS plus yellow bell peppers in a stir fry with the noodles.
YOU should also check out my original post on the Soy and Sesame version of the SQUIGGLY NOODLES which has a lot of ideas about how to upgrade and cook them HERE
Suggestions: Slice up some of your favorite TJ’s chicken meatballs, saute till brown, throw in some veggies and cook and mix those with these noodles and sauce; voila, a real dish…
I gathered that people seemed to love the fact that Trader Joe’s added lentils to their line of canned beans. Some people saying this 99 cents can of lentils is a game changer.
As a big fan of lentils, I got a can to try out and review. Yes. These canned lentils are good and certainly couldn’t be easier as all you have to do is open a can and only cost 99 cents!
(French lentil stew with sausages)
Still, just to compare I made my own lentils to compare these canned lentils to lentils I cooked myself using TJ’s dried green lentils ($1.99/lb).
The ones I cooked myself using dried lentils were a tad better than these canned ones, especially in texture, as the ones I cooked were a little less mushy then the canned ones. I’m sure you know that lentils cook fast, unlike most dried beans. Lentils can be ready in only about 18 minutes. Compared to say dried beans which could take easily 2 hours (after soaking overnight).
Not to mention “Bean Economics” of using dried beans or lentils. Dried lentils and beans cost way cheaper than canned. For example a one pound bag of dried green lentils sold at Trader Joe’s are $1.99. That one pound of dried lentils will probably end up making the equivalent amount of perhaps 6 (15 oz) cans worth once they are cooked (they expand cooked).
Still, if you don’t want to make your own lentils than these canned lentils are the next best thing.
Trader Joe’s lentils cost 99 cents for a 15 oz can. The can says “Product of Australia, packed in Egypt”
The ingredients are nice and short: Lentils, water, salt.
How to use these? As they say on the can, you can use cooked lentils in soups, stews, or salads, or combine them with other grains. These will go well for example mixed with the HARVEST BLEND of grains and legumes for a very healthy dish of grains and legumes.
Now right out of the can lentils can taste a little boring. But they are easily jazzed up with some seasonings. Lentils love garlic, olive oil, lemon, cumin and other spices.
EASY LENTIL SALAD – You could just open the can, drain off most of the liquid and dump these lentils in a bowl. Mash up a fat clove of garlic or two. Add that plus a nice pour of good olive oil, EVOO. Add the juice of a lemon, or some good Balsamic vinegar. Grind on some black pepper Toss gently together and you have a nice and quick and easy lentil salad. The lentils could be eaten as is or could go on top of some greens. Maybe add a fried egg on top? Or sliced chicken. Or just fine as is.
Here’s an idea for a quick and easy recipe with a French flavor lentil stew using these lentils plus sausages (omit if you are vegetarian, subbing a bit of Soy Chorizo perhaps)
When the sausages are golden brown, remove them from the pan and set them aside. (Tip: i like to score my sausages with 3-4 shallow slashes on both sides before cooking. They open up when cooked)
In the same pot, add another tablespoon of olive oil and toss in a medium onion (sliced) and 4-6 cloves of garlic (sliced). Cook the garlic and onions until the onions are translucent or golden which will take maybe 5-8 minutes. (optional) Adding a tablespoon or two of tomato paste now will add lots of flavor. Cook the tomato paste stirring constantly for 1 minute or so.
Next pour in two cans of Trader Joe’s CANNED LENTILS. If you want it a very soupy stew add all the liquid of both cans. If not drain the lentils first (reserving the juice). Add about 1/4-1/2 cup liquid to the pot. You can add more later, as you see fit to get the right amount of liquid you want for your lentil stew.
Add your seasonings (ground black pepper, dried rosemary, oregano, basil, a pinch of cumin, a pinch of red pepper, if desired)
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for about 10 minutes. Add in your browned sausages. Simmer on low for about 5 minutes more.
Serve drizzled with more olive oil and some a squeeze of lemon. Combine with some Jasmine rice on the side or just eat with some crusty bread and French Butter!
Want to make French lentil soup instead? Just add all the liquid from the can plus another can of water or stock. Add more chopped garlic. Simmer about a 1/2 hr. You can slice up the sausages, or eat them on the side.
“How do you know it’s fall? When Trader Joe’s Spiced Cider arrives on our shelves! Our Spiced Cider has been a reliable autumnal indicator for more than 20 years. The 64 fluid-ounce bottle holds the juice of U.S.A.-grown, bursting-with-flavor apples that have been brewed with just the right amount of cinnamon, allspice, and cloves to give each sip that soothing seasonal warmth.”
I think this spiced cider is very tasty (if a just a little bit on the sweet side for my tastes, so sometimes I add a splash of water). The wonderful smelling spice blend they have added includes cinnamon, clove, allspice, orange peel, orange oil and lemon peel. I find the balance of the spice blend is just right, not too much to overpower the taste of the apples. You can of course drink this cold but you can really also enjoy it warmed up on cold winter nights!
SPICED CIDER is a seasonal (Fall/Winter) product. So get it while you can.
70% cacao. Ingredients: Unsweetened chocolate and sugar.
I got some when this was a new item. Here’s my review.
When I tried it, to be honest I found it on the side of just being a wee bit too bitter for my palate. This is for “serious” chocolate people. It’s not chocolate any kid would like, but tastes to me like a really SERIOUS gourmet chocolate bar with a high percentage of excellent cacao, but minimal sugar. Think “bitter” for most people, including myself in that category.
The bar involves two countries. The cacao was sourced from Peru. The chocolate bar itself is crafted in Italy.
“Each Bar is made with just two simple ingredients—unsweetened chocolate and sugar—so you get a chocolate-eating experience that’s pure, unadulterated, and deeply satisfying. The 70% Cacao content delivers a flavor that’s bold and intense, yet still delightfully smooth, with complex floral notes that reveal themselves as the Chocolate melts on your tongue.”
I took a few more bites, and little by little I got more used to it. The taste of this chocolate started to grow on me as my taste buds adapted to it and this chocolate melted all over my tongue. Yes I get it, that this is amazing quality cacao/chocolate. As this chocolate bar is barely sweet at all, this may not be quite for everyone but if you really are into chocolate (raises his hand) I think is worth tasting at least once to see what excellent high percentage cacao chocolate tastes like and especially Peruvian cacao which I know know is amazing.
I later ate some of the chocolate along with my coffee , which had milk and sugar. When I alternated bites of this chocolate with sips of my coffee, the added sweetness balanced the bitter chocolate and gave my taste buds intense, delicious chocolate flavor. If you find this too dark and bitter on its own, try eating it with something on the sweet side. I am thinking of matching this chocolate along with a bite of Dried Mango or dried cranberries, or maybe a bite of vanilla ice cream…. Get the picture?
$2.49 (100g) note: the price likely when up since this was published…
Trader Joe’s says this about their new fully cooked frozen dish CHICKEN MOLE:
“Inspired by recipes from Central Mexico, we simmer boneless, skinless chicken leg meat in a Mole rojo (“red”) sauce. This tomato-based iteration is made with dried guajillo and pasilla peppers, which serve to darken the color of the sauce, while also adding some spicy heat. The flavor is further deepened with spices that include garlic, onion, coriander, and cinnamon.”
“Mole meaning, sauce or mixture, is a traditional sauce found in Mexican cuisine. most moles do not contain chocolate. Our version is a Mole Rojo, made with Guajillo and Pasilla chile peppers along with other spices, in a tomato based sauce. It was inspired by recipes found in Central Mexico. Serve this chicken mole as a tasty taco or enchilada filling, over a bed of rice, or just on its own with a few slices of avocado“
Their descriptions sound pretty good, right? Does it live up to it? I’ve found at least one very bad miss with Trader Joe’s Mexican inspired foods. For example, some time ago I tried tamales that had the nerve to say “Authentic Mexican” on the package. Ha! More like “Not At All Authentic Mexican”. Tasteless. I thought those tamales were an insult to Mexican cuisine: (old review) of Cedar Lane “Authentic” Tamales
So what about the new “CHICKEN MOLE? I read some decent reviews of this dish, so had to try it and see if TJ’s got it right this time. And guess what? Basically I think they did get it right. This does taste pretty authentic. So I was a bit pleasantly surprised to find their Chicken Mole dish to be pretty tasty, and I think I would probably buy it again. Savory and spicy with a nice use of a few Mexican chiles.
Trader Joe’s Chicken Mole ($6.99) as they say is a mole rojo (red mole) meaning a tomato based mole, made with tomatoes, onions, garlic and most importantly two kinds of chiles, Pasilla and Guajillo which really give it it’s depth of flavor. Its origins are in Central Mexico. The Chicken Mole tasted very savory, with lots of flavor from the slightly smokey chiles (some chiles like the Guajillo chile used in this are smoked). Overall I found the seasonings quite decent and nicely spiced with a depth of flavor from the tomatoes, chiles and other spices, including coriander and cinnamon. Heat wise I would say this is not a super hot but it does have some spicy heat. Its not immediate but sneaks up on you 30 seconds later. I would call this dish a bit spicy, but NOT crazy spicy. For me, I found the heat level just right. Plus you are eating this with other things (maybe avocado, tortillas, rice….) which balances things out.
I liked the fact reading the ingredients that the list is fairly short and overall seems pretty natural with actual ingredients not long chemical names.
Mole Rojo originates from Central Mexico or Oaxaca, the land of 7 moles” a place I’ve been to twice and where I made it my business to taste as many moles as I could. I tasted about 5 of the 7. The place is a culinary wonderland. Every mole I tasted in Oaxaca was fantastic, one of the best being a mole negro sold outside a church by some nice church ladies.
I read someone’s review of this somewhere and they said there was very little chicken in this. Which is also a complaint about TJ’s BIRRIA, which I do agree, there is not a ton of beef in the Birria.
However I thought this Chicken Mole, while I would not say has an enormous amount of chicken, did have a fair amount. Its a bit deceptive as the chicken has fallen apart during cooking so its mostly now shredded plus a few chunks in a good amount of sauce. Now I read someone saying this “has too much sauce”. I don’t really agree with that, as you want a good amount. In a mole the sauce is the whole point, its the star of the whole dish, and the protein is kind of secondary. Does it look like the picture on the package with a ton of chicken? No, lets face it almost nothing looks like the picture on the package.
COOKING: Microwave or Stovetop. I did the Stovetop.
We ate the dish as tacos, spooned into warm Corn Tortillas (TJ’s) with avocado and sliced radishes. Kind of like the picture. Also some rice on the side. It matches great with rice. You could do a rice bowl type thing. You could also make Quesadillas with the mole and cheese, getting it nice and browned up, kind of QuesoBirria style., either in a corn or a flour tortilla. Or a hard corn taco shell. Or you could spoon the mole over rice. It matches very well with avocado. It can easily serve two, maybe three people with other things.
Trader Joe’s Rants & Raves (mostly raves, a few rants) 
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