Trader Joe’s THAILAND Mae Kha Jan Chiang Rai SMALL LOT COFFEE (Whole Bean)

21 Oct 2025 3 Comments

by promacnyc in All Natural, Asian, coffee, DIY, fresh, General, New, News, Pantry, Prices, Products, Rave, review, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: asia, coffee, Food, no preservatives, Products, Rave, review, Thai, thailand, Trader Joes, travel, whole beans

“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 newest small lot coffee, Thailand Mae Kha Jan Chiang Rai really 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:

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/thailand-mae-kha-jan-chiang-rai-small-lot-coffee-061388

“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.

NEW @ Trader Joe’s, CRISPY GARLIC

23 Sep 2025 Leave a comment

by promacnyc in All Natural, Asian, baked, Blog, condiments, DIY, fresh, General, News, Pantry, pasta, Prices, Products, Rave, review, spices, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: Asian, chicken, chinese, dinner, Food, healthy, no preservatives, product, Products, Rave, recipe, Recipes, review, Thai, Trader Joes, vegan gluten free, vegetarian

First they came out with the CRISPY SHALLOTS.

Now they’ve come out with CRISPY GARLIC.

This new product is a winner. A must try.

They say: “Trader Joe’s Crispy Garlic ably demonstrates, when sliced thin and fried to a glorious golden brown, garlic’s gifts easily extend into the textural realm, too. We tried plenty of options before finding this iteration of Crispy Garlic, which is brought to us by an expert supplier in Thailand. Only their Crispy Garlic was able to capture that flavorful-but-not-bitter, nicely-fried-but-not-tough, crunchy-but-still-melt-in-your-mouth quality that our tasting panel adored. We think you’ll adore it, too. Trader Joe’s Crispy Garlic is excellent as a topping on stir-fries, salads, and scrambled eggs; pizzas, pastas, and pad Thai; or even burgers, baked potatoes, and bánh mi. It can be mixed into homemade cheesy dips and casseroles, sprinkled over noodle dishes or roasted veggies, or even just enjoyed over a bowl of freshly made rice.” – Trader Joe’s

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/crispy-garlic-078302

Tru’ dat. The little thin crisps of garlic are so tasty. We tried it, and instantly fell in love with this stuff. We tried even eating them as is just out of the bag.

Think little chips of garlic, cooked till golden brown until they are super crunchy and crispy. The garlic flavor is now a bit mild and mellow from the frying. Toss these chips on just about anything. We’ve been trying it out on just about everything we can think of to put it on and whatever we tried seemed to work. Noodles. Salad. Rice. As they say it’s cooked just right, before the point of bitterness

Here I put some on top of cottage cheese on top of a toasted slice of their Sourdough Sliced bread and added some spices, and the combo was super yummy.

You can crush them up with your fingers to get smaller bits too (I crushed them up over buttered corn. Yum!)

$3.29 (4 oz) Which is probably a pound of garlic when it started. Its got just 3 simple ingredients, garlic, oil and salt. It’s not greasy at all. Just crispy. Keep it tightly sealed in the foil pouch and it should stay that way. This is a super Asian garnish.

I would buy it again

NEW @ Trader Joe’s FRIED SHALLOTS

22 Jul 2025 1 Comment

by promacnyc in All Natural, Asian, baked, condiments, fresh, General, New, News, Pantry, Prices, Products, recipe, Recipes, review, snacks, spices, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: Food, new item, no preservatives, product, Products, Rave, review, shallot, South East Asia, Thai, Trader Joes, vegetarian, Vietnamese

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.”

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/fried-shallots-077785

$2.49 bag (5 oz)

VEGAN

Product of Thailand

Trader Joe’s THAI CURRY SAUCE

29 Aug 2023 2 Comments

by promacnyc in Asian, can, fresh, General, jar, Pantry, Prices, Products, Rave, recipe, Recipes, spices, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: curry, dinner, ideas, review, sauce, style, Thai, tofu, Trader Joes

Want to make a Thai Style Yellow Curry yourself? This makes it quite easy.

TJ’s says: “We’ve honored the modern recipe of a zesty, ginger-forward sauce packed full of onion, garlic, red chilies, and of course garlic! All of this is blended together with creamy coconut milk making for the rich, velvety sauce we all know and love. With this sauce you can make a traditional yellow curry dish in no time! Cook up some meat, poultry, tofu, or veggies until done, stir in our Thai Style Yellow Curry Sauce, simmer until heated through, and serve on a bed of rice.”

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/thai-style-yellow-curry-sauce-078557

I made curry recently and used this yellow version, however there is a red version of this curry sauce too. Both are decent. Overall I find the yellow one is slightly better myself but maybe you need to try both and settle on your preference of which you like better.

I usually sauté my protein and vegetables for 5-10 minutes in a little oil, then add this sauce. I rinse the jar out with a few ounces of water to get every drop. Then just let everything simmer for 20-30 minutes.

A trick I’ve learned is I usually also will add about a 1/2 can of TJ’s coconut milk. This helps two ways. It gives me more sauce, enough for a big pot of curry, as when I make this I want to get at least two meals. The other way is additional coconut milk will also tame the heat down a bit, as my wife’s preference is for not too spicy.

This sauce has a good Thai flavor profile. They list lemongrass and galangal for example, both which give authentic Thai flavor. This sauce is moderately spicy. It’s not blow your head off spicy. Again if you had more coconut milk that will mellow things more.

An 11 oz jar is $3.49. Now for that price I wish they gave you at least 16 ounces because honestly 11 ounces is barely enough sauce. Ah well.

You will definitely want some Thai Jasmine rice to go with your lovely curry. As far as your Main, Protein, etc. almost anything will work, like chicken (breast or thigh), Fish, Shrimp, Tofu, Hard Boiled Eggs….

Another way to make an easy Thai curry was taught to me by a Thai friend. This is how many Thais make a fast easy curry at home, by using a good real Thai curry paste. You sauté the curry paste a bit in oil for a few minutes then add your ingredients and then coconut milk. One good brand of Thai curry paste is Mae Ploy. They sell green, red and yellow versions. These pastes are very concentrated. Honestly that tub could last a year.

Thai curries are delicious and worth making. This sauce makes it super easy. The Mae Ploy paste plus coconut milk is going to make a better dish will than this Trader Joe’s “thai style” sauce however just opening this jar is a bit easier and will still turn out something like a Thai curry.

Trader Joe’s THAI SHRIMP GYOZA / DUMPLINGS

04 Feb 2022 3 Comments

by promacnyc in Asian, frozen, General, Pantry, Products, seafood, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: dumpling, pescatarian, Products, review, shrimp, Thai, Trader Joes

Thai Shrimp Dumplings / Gyoza

First to clarify, there are no “Thai seasonings” in these, nor are they spicy. They’re “Made in Thailand” hence the name (Gyoza being Japanese for dumplings BTW). TJ’s THAI SHRIMP GYOZA are frozen dumplings, with shrimp as the first ingredient listed along with cabbage and other vegetables, in a thin yellow wonton type wrapper. You can either steam, pan fry or microwave them. The skin is thinner than the “regular” TJ” dumplings. Taste-wise, these are well, OK, if nothing to write home about. One might say the shrimp flavor is “delicate”. Or one could say they don’t have a very distinct shrimp flavor. I also wish the shrimp in the filling were even more coarsely chopped with bigger pieces texture-wise, or they used a few whole baby shrimp in the mix. These shrimp dumplings are not going to compete with a shrimp dumpling from a good Chinese restaurant. Interestingly, out of the package you will notice they have browned bottoms as if they were already slightly browned or cooked. If you can, do pan fry these, perhaps a little bit more effort but worth it, as the more you brown the bottoms I think the tastier these will be. A bag of these Shrimp Dumplings now go for $5.50. There are about 15 dumplings in the 1 lb package. The funny thing is I’ve read people say these Thai Shrimp dumplings taste almost the same as TJ’s “Thai Vegetable Gyoza” the vegetarian version of these. Therefore the real question for me is since these don’t have a really distinctive taste of shrimp, are they worth the higher price versus the cheaper regular bags of Chicken or Pork dumplings Trader Joe’s has. If for variety, sure, or maybe you are a pescatarian. Frankly however the regular dumplings are better value (they were $2.99. Now $3.49) The wrappers on those are a little thicker which is more to my personal preference. Which is why I usually buy the big blue or red bags of frozen TJ dumplings as opposed to these “fancier” pricier, dumpling that are in boxes or colorful pouches. Anyway, try these at least once and decide yourself if they are worth the extra price. Funny enough I think if you made a few Red Shrimp to serve with these that would be a great combo!

Dipping sauce: I would not go a strong sauce with the shrimp dumplings, you probably want to keep it on the light side. Maybe a bit of low-sodium soy sauce with a teaspoon of vinegar (or lime juice) and some fresh ginger added. If you have Fish Sauce (Nam Pla, etc) around, a little bit might be good to give these a little more of a shrimp-y taste. Trader Joe’s once carried an excellent brand of fish sauce, Red Boat, but they stopped carrying it unfortunately.

Ingredients in the Thai Shrimp Gyoza include: Shrimp, White Cabbage, Chives, Scallions, Ginger, Garlic. Made In Thailand, No Preservatives, No Artificial Flavors. They’re in the frozen section.

RATING: “Meh”. Chinese restaurants have nothing to worry about.

Trader Joe’s Thai Green Curry Simmer Sauce

14 Oct 2018 5 Comments

by promacnyc in General, Products, recipe, Trader Joes Tags: Food, fresh, homemade, product, recipe, review, Thai, vegan gluten free, vegetables, vegetarian

“Trader Joe’s Thai Green Curry Simmer Sauce is a delicate blend of coconut milk, shallots, lemongrass, garlic, galangal, coriander seed, Thai lime peel, ginger, turmeric, cumin and basil”

I should start with the fact that I actually can make a decent Thai curry from scratch, having been taught by a Thai friend. It’s pretty easy actually IF you use a pre-made Thai canned curry paste like MAESRI brand from Thailand, sauté that, and add in coconut milk.

But when I saw this jar of “Thai Green Curry Simmer Sauce” which says “Made in Thailand” on the label at TJ’s I wanted to try it for a taste test.

Here’s a link to TJ’s own Fearless Flyer post about this simmer sauce so you can see what Trader Joe’s themselves have to say about it.

My review is : well TJ’s “Thai Simmer Sauce” is not bad – in fact I like it. However I do need to warn you, if open this up and expect to get as I did at first, an authentic, powerful Thai-level SPICY Green Curry, you will be disappointed. Lets be honest, this classifies (to me) as barely spicy. This sauce fits into a mild baby-level Thai spicy level I can easily imagine a Thai Mom feeding this to their two year old ! I’m saying: MILD. Which is why TJ describes its as a “delicate blend” – yes it is a delicate blend, exactly. A not spicy, mildly seasoned coconut-milk-based green curry sauce with a very small level of spiciness. But again, I do like it. Though mild in spiciness this is actually VERY TASTY. It is full of nice Thai flavors. It can be the base for cooking a “Thai inspired” dish very quickly, just by opening up the jar of this and adding some ingredients as the label says:

“SAUTÉ ABOUT A HALF POUND OF YOUR FAVORITE PROTEIN. ADD AN EQUAL AMOUNT OF VEGETABLES AND SAUCE AND SIMMER”.

Now if like it spicy and you happen to have a can of some authentic Thai curry paste (which you can find online at Amazon) you could add a spoonful or two of that paste to this, and make it into a more powerful tasting Thai curry. If thats too much trouble just add a few tablespoons of Trader Joe’s GREEN DRAGON HOT SAUCE if you want to turn up the heat some, this will add some nice cilantro and chile flavors and spiciness.

Last night I used this sauce to make a Thai Seafood Curry and it turned out very tasty. (My “No-Recipe Recipe”: I sautéed some celery, carrots, onions, garlic and cubed potato for 10-15 minutes, then added a jar of this sauce and simmered for about 10 minutes till all was barely tender, then added some shrimp and simmered it for another 2 minutes, serving with some white rice. Yummy!)

You could use just about any protein to make your Thai Green Curry: Chicken, fish, beef, pork or tofu, plus a slew of veggies. Experiment. Pair the finished curry with rice or rice noodles.

TIP: The label says “add a 1/2 pound” of your main ingredient. So figure this jar is for about 2 servings? So for 4 people, I would double everything: a pound (or more) of the main ingredient/protein, equal amount of veggies, and 2 jars of sauce.

A 12 oz. jar costs $1.99. “INGREDIENTS – Coconut milk, water, green curry paste, sugar, rice bran oil, food starch, green chili, salt. Product of Thailand.”

This is worth a try if you like Thai flavors. Its a good thing to have in the cupboard for whenever you get in that mood.