Getting near St. Patrick’s Day, I saw two new Irish cheeses in the cheese case at Trader Joe’s.
They looked interesting so I decided to try them.
The first one is called IRISH PORTER CHEDDAR CHEESE. As you can see, it’s got yellow areas mixed with brown areas which I imagine is the porter beer (the brown color makes me think of Guinness though that is technically a stout) Its a nice mild cheddar cheese. I think the porter mellows it out nicely. When you slice this cheese it looks really interesting with a pattern of swirls of brown and yellow.
The second cheese is also a cheese with a little something extra, here an IRISH CHEDDAR CHEESE with Irish Whiskey. This cheddar is a bit more robust than the other one, and this is very tasty too. It has a little more sharpness to it. However to be honest I could not distinguish the taste of whiskey but the cheese has a nice blend of flavors. Maybe a hint of whiskey is in there so very subtle; don’t expect this to taste like a big slug of Jameson’s.
Both of these cheeses were $11.99 a pound; a bit more expensive of course than many other imported cheddar cheese’s such as one my top favorite cheeses at Trader Joe’s: the excellent New Zealand Grass Fed Sharp Cheddar, which is now $6.99 a pound (used to be 5.99)
Still if you want to have some Irish cheese on the table for St. Paddy’s Day you may find either of these Irish cheddar cheeses worth trying. They would be nice on a cheese plate with an assortment of crackers and fruit. Or I imagine would match nicely with some Irish Soda Bread.
I assume these are “Seasonal” cheeses put out around the holiday; they may not be stocked forever, maybe just for a few months?
Fair Trade Organic Bolivian Blend Coffee, Medium Dark Roast
RAVE
‘RICH AND FLAVORFUL WITH NOTES OF SWEET CARAMEL‘
“Sourced from the heart of Bolivian coffee country”
I love this new coffee Trader Joe’s introduced:
ORGANIC BOLIVIAN BLEND
In fact I find it so good this has became my favorite coffee Trader Joe’s sells! It’s so bloody good!
I’m pretty sure I may have never even tasted a Bolivian coffee before this one. Coffee from Bolivia is a bit rare in the U.S. Certainly not as well known as other South American producers as Brazil or Columbia or even Honduras. This however could change if people try this new Bolivian coffee Trader Joe’s came out with. I think its just a wonderful tasting coffee. TJ’s says….
“Our Bolivian Blend is a medium dark roast with a smooth textured body, delicate acidity and sweet flavor characteristic of caramel…. A Fair Trade coffee sourced from small family farms in the land located between the peaks of the Andes and Amazon Basin…This region has ideal growing conditions for this unique perfectly balanced coffee.”
I didn’t know what to expect but all I can tell you is when I brewed up a cup of Joe from these beans I was both surprised and quite impressed. It tasted so good. I just loved it the moment I tried it. I find this coffee perfectly balanced with nice hints of acidity and caramel that makes a perfect cup of coffee. I let some other people try it and they also loved it.
So I’m giving this ORGANIC BOLIVIAN BLEND a huge RAVE. Once again, Trader Joe’s world traveling coffee buyers managed to source some wonderful coffee beans, this time from the mountains of the Bolivian Andes.
Upon opening the bag, you get a wonderful aroma from these beans which are Medium Roast, and I found the roast right on the money. Grind the beans and you will get an even more wonderful heavenly smell; These just say “now this is coffee” to me.
I think this is one of the best coffee’s I can remember tasting from Trader Joe’s. It instantly became my new FAVORITE coffee and when I wake up now all I think about is making some of this coffee.
It doesn’t say “Small Lot” which means a limited supply but not wanting to take any chances as I’ve missed out in the past on some great coffees that went out of stock quickly, I went back and bought two more bags of this Bolivian Blend a few days later.
Interestingly enough brewing this in my Moka Pot, this coffee is making way better crema than I am used to getting. I mean I am seeing much more crema from this than other coffees I’ve been using and I’ve done nothing different. Same grind, process, method, which leads me to think its the coffee.
I think this will be good for any brewing method. Espresso machine, Moka, drip or pour over.
Not only is this very good its a Fair Trade coffee direct from small growers
TJ’s says: “Made with Lady Clair and Dakota Pearl potatoes grown in western Canada, our supplier fries these Chips in small batches, then kettle-cooks them until they’re ready to be seasoned and cooled. This method, as opposed to the typical “continuous fry” method of chip-making, results in extra-flavorful chips with a harder, crunchier bite.”
My wife bought these and we we tasted them we both loved them from just one bite. So Delicious.
Theses are kettle cooked and cut a little thicker, so are very crunchy. I would say they taste like the best, high quality, kettle cooked potato chips you’ve had. Those “gourmet” level ones. The “EBTB” Seasoning is delicious here. Blends in well, and just enough. Not overpowering to the chips, just enhancing them. They use just enough for a great extra taste but not where you don’t taste “potato” first and foremost, not the added “flavoring”, so way better than say Lay’s in this respect.
One thing about these though. The bag should have a Warning label about being: “Highly Addictive”.
I like rubber plants. I had a nice one that lasted about 20+ years. However finally that one started to weaken and eventually die. I’ve been thinking of replacing it for a few months.
Lo and behold I saw this rubber plant at Trader Joe’s yesterday. It looked really healthy to me. Very robust with new growth on the way.
So I decided it was time to replace my late rubber plant I had for so long and missed.
TJ’s had nice healthy looking rubber plants for $11.99. I was not dirt cheap but elsewhere I would see comparable rubber plants for at least $20 if not more, so I decided to take it home.
These make good houseplants that are easy to take care of and don’t even need a ton of light, so are a good choice for many.
I discovered this link on Trader Joe’s website and just want to share it to make sure every one knows about how to contact them and voice your opinion.
Now of course who knows if it will have any effect? But if they get enough complaints and feedback about some product they got rid of, perhaps they might even reconsider. It may be worth a try, you have nothing to lose and at the very least you get to have your say.
As they say, one catches more flies with honey than with vinegar, so probably best to be a bit polite.
I didn’t buy these, my wife did. Each berry is enormous. To me they look a bit weird, almost unnaturally big. On the contrary, wild blueberries, which I think are the tastiest, are tiny! Anyway my wife saw these and was intrigued enough to try them. However when she tasted them she was extremely disappointed and told me “these have no taste“.
I tried them and they were just OK. I don’t see the point really and would prefer good old regular sized blueberries, organic if I had my choice.
Are Jumbo Blueberries a new thing? I am seeing these jumbo blueberries all over at the moment at lots of fruit vendors.
These are from Peru. I prefer fruit in season anyway. In the middle of winter, I would buy frozen ones over fresh ones that had to take an airplane to get here. Not very green.
We would not buy these again. On the subject of Returning Stuff…..
RETURNING ITEMS TO TRADER JOE’S – Now I don’t think my wife ever returned anything to Trader Joe’s before, but she said she would like to return these. They were $4.99. So on the topic of Trader Joe’s and Returns/Refunds…. as far as I’m concerned no other store even comes close to Trader Joe’s user friendly and generous refund policy. I don’t abuse the return policy however I have on occasion taken stuff for a refund if I didn’t like a product.
WHAT IS TRADER JOE’S RETURN/REFUND POLICY?
Here’s what they advertise: “We liked it, but if you didn’t, just bring it back”
Trader Joe’s has an extremely generous return policy — you can bring any item you were not happy with back for a full refund with or even without, a receipt. So if you got something and it didn’t meet your expectations you can get your money back. If you prefer a credit, just ask them to credit the amount off your current purchase when you’re shopping. Seriously what other store is like this and makes it so easy and painless to get a refund? In this respect I think TJ’s is unique.
This policy includes food items you’ve opened and eaten (i mean how would you know you didn’t like it otherwise) As well as non-edible products that didn’t meet your expectations. At checkout (or go to the front desk) you can just tell them you didn’t like something. They don’t make you feel awkward. They will either refund your money or replace the product or apply the amount to your purchase. If you just tell them you were not happy with a product, they happily take care of it…they don’t give you grief, they don’t roll their eyes, or make you feel bad…. you know, the way at other stores they try to make you feel like you’re a crook? Not at Trader Joe’s.
Sometimes I have brought an empty package when carrying something back to the store was just too inconvenient/difficult, sometimes even minus a receipt. Sometime I just bring the label. I don’t return stuff that often or abuse their generous return policy. However if I ever want, to they make it guilt free and painless.
I recently got a bag of mandarins that I found had 3 rotten ones. When I went back the next time I brought the empty bag and just told the cashier that and they just said we’re sorry, go take another one and gave it to me.
Seriously Trader Joe’s is quite unique with their generous policy. They don’t of course appreciate people who abuse this policy, so don’t abuse it. For example, someone returns a plant they killed by not watering it and requesting a refund.
Also “try before you buy” — now I’ve never actually done it but they do have a store policy that customers can try anything. If you want to know what something tastes like you, just bring it to an employee and ask if you can try it and they will open it up and let you taste it (ok maybe not a steak). Supposedly the break rooms are filled with opened things for leftovers and snacks for staff to enjoy.
Trader Joe’s THAI PEANUT SATAY SAUCE is a new addition to their line of Thai and Asian sauces and condiments. (Jan 2024)
TJ has this to say: “Made for us by a supplier in Thailand, our Peanut Satay Sauce starts with a base of rich coconut milk, peanuts, and aromatic red curry paste, to which our supplier adds a mix of savory seasonings including lemongrass, shallot, garlic, galangal, and tamarind paste. In addition to making a delicious dipping sauce for grilled, skewered proteins of all kinds (we’re especially fond of it with shrimp, pork loin, or tofu), it also makes a fantastic condiment for burgers and lettuce wraps, and a superb sauce for serving over Thai Wheat Noodles. And for an effortless and flavorful salad dressing, simply add a bit of Rice Vinegar to a few spoonfuls of Satay Sauce in a bowl, mix, and enjoy.”
I got a jar to taste and review recently. My initial take is it’s pretty good. Thai food can be very bold with flavors. For my taste buds while this Satay Sauce is kind of tasty, I just wish it had more “oomph”. That is way bolder with flavors so that it really tasted “Thai”. Personally I wanted more more of everything (more peanuts, more galangal, and way more red curry paste)
Its OK but just way too much on the tame side, and Thai food is not tame in the least. I’m pretty sure a Thai baby could handle this and I don’t mean just in the heat level. So while I wish it was a little bolder never the less this new sauce is kind of tasty — IT CAN BE IMPROVED.
So I I say it has potential. If you fix it up a bit, adding a thing or two. Certainly a squeeze of lime juice for a little more sourness. It’s not spicy, so if you like spicy, just add a bit of your favorite spicy condiment. For instance Peri-Peri or Bomba to jazz it up. Want it more peanut-y? I sure do. I mixed in a few spoons of crunchy peanut butter and it got way better. Crushed garlic too.
But even if you just use as-is, this can be OK in a pinch (if you are not Thai). Satay usually means grilled items so you can use this for grilled proteins or the like. Say with chicken, shrimp, fish, pork, beef or grilled tofu for that matter. You can marinate them in some sauce for say 30 minutes, then grill it. You can also brush some sauce on at the end of grilling for a nice glaze. It can burn so be careful.
The Satay Sauce can be used in a number of ways. At it’s simplest you could just use it on the side or spoon some on top. Say with grilled chicken, meat, fish, shrimp or tofu. Here I served the satay sauce with a grilled chicken breast, and it works great with chicken. Or anything for that matter.
Salad Dressing – “For an effortless and flavorful salad dressing, simply add a bit of Rice Vinegar to a few spoonfuls of Satay Sauce in a bowl, mix, and enjoy.” – Trader Joe’s.
Is THAI SATAY sauce good for noodles? Very much so! This sauce will definitely be good with say your Thai Wheat Noodles or Squiggly Noodles dishes. Add a bit of soy sauce and a squeeze of lime juice too and maybe some chopped cilantro. And again, I would mix in a few tablespoons of crunchy peanut butter.
Thai Peanut Noodles: Mix the sauce into your cooked noodles. Add a nice amount and also a a little soy sauce, some lime juice, and if like spicy maybe some Sriracha, Bomba, or Peri-Peri. Mix in a few tablespoons of crunchy peanut butter. I would add vegetables of ones choosing: maybe shredded cooked carrots, peppers, and green onions. Cilantro too if you like it. If you have some crushed peanuts on top that will help.
So I think one could come up with something tasty using this sauce, especially if you experiment a bit with it. Adding some stuff.
It’s $2.29 for an 8 oz jar.
I would buy it again (I just wish it were more authentically Thai)
“Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Coffee Buzz Bars are made using a unique combination of conched Columbian Cacao Nibs and Columbian Coffee Beans, blended with sugar and natural vanilla flavor. There’s a distinct yet mild coffee flavor and 70 mg of caffeine in each bar”
(a regular cup of coffee has about 95 mg of caffeine)
First off, I have to mention I love this package design. Eye catching colors with lovely hand made drawings of coffee and cacao on thick paper stock.
Trader Joe’s really cares about package design, more than other grocery stores. They focus on designing products that make you want to pick them up. If you are interested in learning a bit more about that here’s a link about Trader Joe’s product design
OK, ok but how’s this chocolate? I liked it but my wife did not. To state the obvious this is not a kids bar of chocolate. Definitely for Grown Ups. Barely sweet, just sweetened enough to balance out the bitterness of coffee and cacao nibs. Me, I think they got it just right, definitely a nice balance of quality chocolate with coffee undertones and a nice balance of bitter and sweet however some may not go for this. On the other hand if like me, you are someone who loves both your coffee and your chocolate you may like this. Worth trying to find out.
“Tangy creamy cream cheese speckled with fermented black garlic for unique, earthy, slightly sweet, umami rich flavor.”
Trader Joe’s says: “It’s a tangy cream cheese flecked with savory, fermented Black Garlic throughout, its flavor further bolstered by dried garlic and roasted garlic powder. A generous schmear of the stuff is an instant upgrade to your morning bagel and a delectable dip for crackers, crudités, and roasted Shishito Peppers. It also makes a splendid sandwich spread, and it enlivens everything from pasta sauces to baked potatoes.”
“Umami-rich flavor. A savory shmear for sandwiches, crackers and bagels.”
You may have heard Trader Joe’s new BLACK GARLIC CREAM CHEESE spread. I heard it was really good and a hit, so got some to review.
My take? I’m all in. Yes this black garlic cream cheese spread is delicious. I loved it immediately and found it so good. Full of umami from that mellow black garlic. (something that they used to actually sell fresh)
I put some of this spread on a bagel and topped it with cucumbers and the combo was of course so yummy.
This stuff is going to be great spread on toast, any bread or crackers. I tried it on some rice crackers. Yum. Next, I tried it as a dip for sliced veggies dipping in spears of cucumbers and carrots. This makes a perfect dip for crudités. Dip your baby carrot snacks in a little!
Honestly this is one of those “what wouldn’t this be good on” Trader Joe’s products. I am sure when you taste it you will get a few ideas where to use this. Putting this on Baked Potatoes is one No Brainer. Pasta? Yes, put a spoonful or two into almost any pasta dish and stir it in with a tablespoon of pasta water. Could I thin it with a touch of greek yogurt and serve on the side with a piece of grilled chicken, shrimp or fish? Why not indeed. So experiment away! Take it out and leave at room temp for an hour if want to let it get softer and more spreadable.
Black Garlic Cream Cheese Spread is $2.79 for an 8 oz tub.
Trader Joe’s Rants & Raves (mostly raves, a few rants) 
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