New Products | Trader Joe’s Rants & Raves (mostly raves, a few rants)

I just checked out a new product at Trader Joe’s, their sliced Marble Rye bread.

Opening the bag, you do get that European bread, slightly sour & wonderful smell that rye bread has. Now as a native New Yawk’r – and a member of the tribe – I grew up eating rye bread so I know what a really good rye bread should taste like. So I can’t lie and tell you this TJ’s rye bread ranks with the best NYC Jewish bakery rye bread, however this Trader Joe Marble Rye is a very decent rye bread. This is not at all like supermarket commercial rye bread (think “Levy’s ugh!). This is way way better than that gummy bread with zero taste and texture. Here is the most important thing to know about TJ’s Marble Rye Bread – it is especially good when it is TOASTED. Toasting this bread really improves this bread and makes it shine and show off it’s potential. Toasted up and spread with some good butter, this rye bread is delicious and I now always eat it only toasted, and strongly suggest you do as well, even if just a little bit. Toasting it improves the flavor and texture 100%. I hope that point is clear. It will make a lovely sandwich or even a great grilled cheese!

This rye bread is $3.49 for a 20 oz loaf. A bakery rye bread here in NYC is really expensive now, likely $6-7 a loaf – so this is a decent deal for a more than decent rye bread that you don’t have to go to a bakery to get. I would buy this again. If you like rye, check out TJ’s version.

Trader Joe’s “Azmari BUUNNI Coffee”

“This blend combines Ethiopian delicacy with Latin verve…Notes of chocolate, nougat, cherry”

The lovely and striking graphic design of this bag of Buunii AZMARI coffee really caught my eye when I saw it recently in Trader Joe’s NEW PRODUCTS section. Strong colors and stylized images that say “farm”. The coffee inside is as good as the outside – this is an excellent coffee in a whole bean medium roast. In this case, an actual light-medium roast as sometimes people complain Trader Joe’s medium roasts are a shade darker. The coffee is from a smallish coffee outfit, BUUNNI COFFEE which I am glad to learn is being sold under it’s own brand at Trader Joe’s locations in the North East. The packaging for Trader Joe’s looks different from their other packaging so likely it was specially made for TJ’s – and this design really works as It instantly caught my eye!

Opening the convenient air-tight zip closure on the bag (more good design) Wheb I ground some coffee, the aroma smelled wonderful, and kind of had as they said “notes of chocolate, nougat, cherry…”. This coffee has a perfect mix of the best of “African” and “South American” coffee styles, for good reason, as that is exactly what this blend is composed of: two Ethiopian single origin coffees mixed with a coffee from Honduras. It has that “winy” sharp African coffee note which that is then balanced by the Latin American smoother notes of the single origin Honduran coffee. An excellent blend, roasted perfectly to bring out the best of this coffee. Trader Joe’s is selling it for $9.99 a bag (12 oz). I would buy this again, gladly and hope you give it a try; I don’t think anyone wouldn’t like this. Very impressive “high end” coffee for a good price. Well worth checking out if you see it and are a coffee lover!