(UPDATE: UNFORTUNATELY TRADER JOE’S DISCONTINUED THIS PRODUCT !)
I originally gave this product a RAVE when I reviewed it. Now I give TJ’s a RANT for another really good product they discontinued. See the Comments section below at how many people wrote in who are pissed at this being discontinued. Also look there as well how you can find almost this exact product if you really want it – though that will cost you (argh!) The reality I’ve observed is that Trader Joe’s has discontinued many kinds of rice and grains, they used to carry for just one example, the very good Stone Ground Grits they used to stock. Also the Calrose Rice. That was my Asian rice staple I now have to go pay twice as much for in Asian specialty stores….
(for archival purposes – product discontinued since writing this)
Trader Joe’s Brown Rice Medley – “A delicious blend of long grain brown rice, black barley and daikon seeds”
This is a tasty improvement over plain brown rice. A blend and tasty mix of parboiled brown rice plus two slightly unusual additions – black barley and daikon seeds. Who even knew you can eat daikon seeds? I didn’t until discovering this product.
When I cooked up this rice blend for the first time, it got a seal of approval from both myself and my wife as it made an interesting, nutty tasting rice side dish. However I found Trader Joe’s instructions need a tiny bit of modification regarding liquid amounts. I suggest less liquid than they say on the package. So instead of the 2 1/2 cups they state I say try 2 1/4 cups of water or stock (to 1 cup of rice). For a ratio of slightly more than 2:1. Also if using just water, you should add a bit a salt. Butter is a good idea. Letting it sit (without peeking!) at the end for 10 minutes is important so all the liquid gets fully absorbed. Fluff up with a fork when done. Hitting this with a little more butter is a good too. Possibly some chopped parsley? Serve with your favorite main. Its $1.99 for a 1 pound bag. Worth trying. PS If you find it a bit too cooked for your tastes or mushy, the next time you make it reduce the cooking to 30 minutes (instead of the 35 mins written on the package). The brown rice in this has been par-boiled. Normally regular brown rice needs about 45 minutes.
NB: This post has gotten more Comments then any other post! A lot of people have written in to complain about this item being discontinued. One reader found it available from another supplier online (though at a pretty steep price !). Read through the Comments for the details
Alternatives: TJ’s BROWN JASMINE RICE & BROWN BASMATI RICE– regular brown rice just takes 10 more minutes than this mix which had parboiled rice. Also consider TJ’s WILD RICE; you can cook some brown rice and blend it with cooked wild rice for another good rice blend. ALSO – They have an excellent rice blend called HARVEST GRAIN BLEND this is good on it’s own or blend some of that cooked with cooked brown rice.
I did locate “DAIKON SEEDS” on Amazon. I don’t see why you couldn’t mix these into brown rice? Here’s a link to the DAIKON SEEDS (Amazon)
Rated “While not anywhere equal to kimchi you would get at a Korean supermarket it’s OK in a pinch, especially for cooking with, and it’s pretty cheap for kimchi!”
(Review Update: I tried it again (Dec 2023). I found it improved. TJ’s kimchi has gotten a little better since I first wrote this review. While still not top notch kimchi, it’s not bad – especially factoring in the price which you can not beat)
Yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut and kimchi are all fermented foods with probiotic benefits. So in addition to being being tasty as side dish or an ingredient, kimchi is a healthy food teaming with probiotics and worth adding to your diet.
My wife is Korean/Japanese. We try to always have some kimchi in our fridge. Personally I love me some kimchi. I like it so much, during Covid I even tried my hand at making it myself (and actually it turned out great.)
From my wife and my in-laws I’ve learned to tell what’s good kimchi. My wife says Trader Joe’s is “just OK”. She will eat it if its the only kind we have in the house but she much prefers to buy kimchi at H-Mart. So lets’ get this out of the way immediately. Their kimchi is way better than Trader Joe’s. It cost more though.
I can tell you the kimchi from HMart is great. It was no doubt made locally, and trucked in which probably took no more than one or two hours. In contrast, Trader Joe’s kimchi is Made in Korea. Which sounds good but think about how is it shipped to the U.S. By Air or Sea?. I’m guessing with the time to get it to the U.S, its taken some time and fermented more which is OK for Kimchi if you want it a bit aged. It just may not be as fresh a kimchi as you might buy H-Mart (when you open a jar of that, you can tell it’s pretty new-ish as the HMart one has a a firm crunchy texture and bright color. If you check out this site, it has pictures of Kimchi over time, from one day old to fifty days old; you will really see what happens to it. Compare the “Day 50” to “Day 1” kimchi to see what occurs as it ferments more.
With this Trader Joe’s kimchi, the texture of the napa cabbage is a bit soft, the green quite faded.Kimchi is a “living” food that continues to ferment, even in the fridge which slows down but does not stop fermentation.
My wife and I think in a pinch a jar of Trader Joe’s kimchi is OK. As we like having some kimchi in the house we say “it’s better than no kimchi”. Generally what we do with TJ’s kimchi is use it for cooking and kind of think that’s what you should too – but of course you can just eat it as-is. Just realize this kimchi is nowhere as good as say the excellent Tobagi brand kimchi one can buy at H-Mart. However that stuff is now crazy expensive! This kimchi is a bargain comparitively.
In the past in Korea, kimchi was almost typically all home made, though modern Korean families mostly buy it these days, unless Mom or Grandma makes it. In Korea of course one can buy very good commercially made, very fresh kimchi. Here in the US you can find good kimchi at Asian markets for example H-Mart. Kimchi is tricky to distribute because it is alive and highly perishable. It keeps fermenting. We once bought a jar at Whole Foods of a crazy expensive, “Mother In Law’s Kimchi”. When we opened it up, the kimchi exploded out of the jar like a shook-up can of Coke! Jeez, it had really fermented and built up pressure. It made an enormous mess of our entire kitchen and took us about an hour to clean up. On top of which we didn’t find it at all worth the high price ($14?) at Whole Foods.
Historically Trader Joe’s has tried their hand selling Kimchi a few times, in different packages (see above). Over the last few years, I would notice some kimchi at Trader Joe’s but it changed or vanished? Either they discontinued it for a spell or maybe they were finding other vendors, changing the packaging, or all of the above. Before TJ’s current version sold in this red plastic jar, they sold kimchi in a plastic pouch (see link) and then in a glass jar. This current version is the third incarnation/package I can recall. I have never been too impressed with TJ’s Kimchi usually giving it a “well its OK”. My short review of this TJ’s latest kimchi attempt remains that: “well it’s OK”. Let’s face it, this kimchi was shipped (by air?) all the way from Korea, probably landed in California, then it has to be distributed by truck all over the US.
In reality TJ’s kimchi is nowhere near to a kimchi you will find at almost any Asian market, like H-MART (wow, see how many kinds H-MART has?!) If you have the chance to buy some at an Asian market, that would be a good base line to compare this to.
On the plus side Trader Joe’s Spicy Fermented Napa Cabbage Kimchi does have a tangy fermented taste (from lactic acid, which interestingly is even listed as an ingredient?) It doesn’t list any fish products (oysters, squid, or fish sauce) for more Umami like many top brands have, meaning TJ’s kimchi is VEGETARIAN/VEGAN. Is it “Spicy” ? I don’t find it spicy at all, like most kimchi is, though I imagine this is a highly personal taste. Trader Joe’s kimchi is kind of already what I would call just a shade “old” meaning it’s like a Korean supermarket kimchi that we bought say 2-3 weeks ago that had now become more fermented as it sits in our fridge. As kimchi ages and ferments more the taste gets a little more sour, it gets softer, and the green color fades a bit. What we do at this point is we say let’s make something with it. Use it to cook in a dish, for example to make a kimchi fried rice, or maybe “Soon Dubu” (kimchi tofu stew) or Kimchi Pork (Buta Kimchi).
I’m glad TJ’s is at least selling Kimchi and Korean foods like the TTeok Bok Ki. And Jap Chae (both are not bad) or the Korean rice cakes.
So to sum up if you can’t get a really good Kimchi from a Korean store, Trader Joe’s kimchi will do in a pinch. It’s price is amazing (still $4 in 2023) – kimchi in Asian supermarkets has gone up so much, its crazy expensive.
Try TJ’s kimchi with your Pot Stickers. I say cook with it, certainly use this with some leftover rice for some kimchi fried rice, with a fried egg on top. Some more ideas to use the TJ’s kimchi in dishes:
You could make a Kimchi Jigae (kimchi stew) with tofu and kimchi and pork. Tip: TJ’s pork tenderloin is good for this.
This is a very good Kimchi (TOBAGI sliced cabbage kimchi). Bon Appetit reviewed a bunch of kimchi brands and Tobagi was one of them. Its available at HMart if you can get to one; try some really good kimchi and you will understand the difference
DIY Kimchi! No, seriously! I’ve made kimchi. Its good. There are easy kimchi versions that are not terribly hard to make. If you buy a few ingredients at a Korean market you can make your own kimchi and I bet the result will be better than TJ’s kimchi not too mention you will feel like a star when you impress people casually tossing out “You like this kimchi? I made it myself”. Aaron & Claire on YouTube have a great “easy kimchi” recipe using regular cabbage (it’s a kind of “summer kimchi”). I made it and my (Korean-Japanese) wife who has always said the TJ kimchi is at best “meh” told me the cabbage kimchi I made based on Aaron & Claire’s recipe was the best kimchi she had in the U.S. (she was just so impressed this white guy – me – made some good kimchi)
Seriously, if you want a good kimchi, you will be surprised that you can make kimchi yourself. Thanks, Aaron & Claire for a super recipe, and you will find lots of other ones on Youtube and online. I’ve learned so much watching Aaron cook.
You can find toasted Sesame Oil at Trader Joe’s as well as GOCHUJANG (red chili paste) It’s a must have ingredient to do Korean cooking. As well as Korean Red Pepper Flakes (Gochugaru) – needed for making kimchi
Trader Joe’s PERI-PERI SAUCE with fermented and dried chilies
RAVE
This is as the label says: “A CONDIMENT WITH RICH, COMPLEX HEAT”. Peri-peri sauce is one of those Trader Joe’s products that currently seems to be all over the Internet. So naturally I decided I better check it out. First thing to let you know, is that this Peri-Peri sauce is HOT! And when I say hot I mean it. It’s hot people, with a capital H! As in this is surely the spiciest product I’ve ever tasted at Trader Joe’s. It reminded me of the first time I tasted TJ’s (original formula, and sadly discontinued) Organic SRIRACHA RANCH dressing (sigh!). I opened the bottle of this Peri-peri sauce and just tasted a wee bit on a teaspoon all by itself. OMG. My mouth lit up, taste buds on fire. I’m not a chili-head but I enjoy “spicy” and can tolerate most levels of heat. However this Peri-peri was way up there. It took a while for my mouth to calm down and I thought, this sauce is too spicy. However I found the “secret” to using Peri-peri, is to just use it really sparingly. Use it in small even tiny amounts and you will get it’s flavor. Note, it’s quite liquid-y so be careful pouring it lest you get way more than you want. I usually put some on a spoon to gently dole it out in little dots of sauce. Once I realized about using in sparingly I started to really love this stuff. It’s very flavorful and complex with a ton of umami going on in addition to being spicy. The orginal bottle which I expected would last me a few months is already 2/3 gone in just a few weeks! So Peri-Peri may even be addictive. This label says Product of South Africa. Peri-Peri sauce is popular in South Africa, though it’s origins are from elsewhere in Africa, Mozambique or going even back going back to Portugal.
Peri-peri recipes traditionally call for tiny birds eye chilies which are super spicy. The label does not specify exactly what chilies are in it but it does say “fermented” as well as dried chilies. As TJ’s BOMBA SAUCE also uses fermented chilies, from which you get a lot more complex flavors than just “hot”. It also lists garlic,salt, dried chilies and xanthan gum (it’s a thickener). It’s a lovely orange color. The first ingredient listed on the label interestingly enough is LEMON JUICE. So there is a citrus-y background level behind the spiciness which I find works perfectly.
What is PERI-PERI SAYCE good on? Perhaps a better question is what haven’t I tried this on. I’ve tried it on almost everything. For one, a simple thing, I love this sauce on something as simple as cottage cheese (on toast or a bagel or crackers…) Again I just need a few dots of sauce here and there. It’s simply magnificent with chicken, which is what it was created for (Peri-peri chicken). I will next try it on chicken breasts marinated in the sauce. So marinate some white or dark meat chicken in Peri-Peri sauce. You’ll find its just stunning. Use oil in the marinade too of course and go easy on the peri-peri till you learn its heat level, though cooking will of course mellow the heat out. I’ve mixed a little of the peri-peri even into ketchup – that spicy ketchup combo is fantastic with hamburgers. A bit on grilled shrimp or fish? Yes, yes, yes. If you experiment with this (and go cautiously) you will come up with great combinations this sauce is good on. Oh and you can of course mix it with something, say mayonnaise or greek yogurt in whatever ratio you like and come up with a fantastic sauce in seconds. Trader Joe’s PERI-PERI sauce comes in a glass bottle of about 7 ounces for $3.29. I think this is really worth checking out. And check out this recipe for grilled Peri-Peri Chicken below which you could whip up using this I think.
I think these are just delicious. These are my new favorite snacks. Crunchy… we’re talking Super Super Crunchy. They are a “PRODUCT OF PERU”. From a variety of Inca Corn called “Choclo“. which has HUGE kernels, grown way up in the Andes Mountains. It says only three ingredients, CORN, oil, salt. OK, I wish the oil wasn’t palm oil but still very simple, with only 3 ingredients with the main one of course being just corn. That’s pretty Natural and probably way healthier snacks to munch on I think say compared to your potato chips.
Trader Joe’s Roasted Golden Flax Seeds (whole seeds) – “Naturally rich in Omega-3, Lignans and Dietary Fiber”
You may know that flax seeds are probably one of the healthiest things you can eat. We’re talking Super Food healthy ! For one thing flax seeds are loaded with Omega-3 fatty acids and are high in protein and fiber. Heart health: studies have shown just by eating 2 tablespoons of flax seeds a day, they can lower blood pressure 10-20 points. Personally every day I eat 2 spoons of flax seeds, which I grind up and mix with yogurt and/or soy milk in my breakfast cereal. I add some chia seeds to boot! You can also put theses in your smoothies.
Up to now I bought flax seeds (raw) in Bulk at a health food store. Then I saw these Roasted Flax Seeds at Trader Joe’s. After trying them I decided these are better tasting than the other ones. Why? Roasting them definitely improves the flavor of flax seeds making them more nutier tasting and crunchier.
You can either eat them whole or grind them up (coffee grinder or morter and pestle). You can sprinkle flax seeds on your morning cereal, put them into baked goods and sneak them into foods like baked goods as well as add them to your smoothies.
OMG, these are SO blody good! Another simply brilliant condiment from TJ’s something Trader Joe’s seems especially good at coming up with. Slices of picked jalapeños sweetened with organic cane sugar added to make them Hot & Sweet which makes for an even improved version over TJ’s regular pickled jalapeños (also excellent). First off yes these are SPICY HOT ! Hotter than the regular TJ pickled jalapeños. There are whole dried red chilis in the jar plus it says pureed jalapeños also to ramp up the heat level. We just adore these. We put them on so many things. My wife and I dream up new ideas for things to put these on. Last night we put them on top of grilled hamburgers (on toasted brioche bread). Ok this is a no-brainer and of course they were freakin’ delicious on hamburgers… or hot dogs or sausages or sandwiches. For breakfast this morning I put a few slices of these hot and sweet babies on my toasted bagel with cottage cheese. They went perfectly with the mellow cottage cheese to spice up something that otherwise would be pretty boring, so these are a Great Combo.
The bottle has good suggestions on the label, such as add them chopped up to your guacamole. For that matter add some chopped up on top of your avocado toast! Grilled cheese? Oh yes, these go perfectly put some in with the cheese before you grill them so they mix into that melted cheese (chopped or whole if you want big spicy bites). Scrambled eggs? Oh yes, again delicious. Ditto with cream cheese and crackers. Brilliant. Especially with the Red Chili Crackers. For nachos? Another no-brainer. Finally do not ignore TJ’s suggestion about not wasting that leftover juice in the bottle for using in marinades. This hot and spicy pickle juice is amazing. I keep of bottle of just that in the fridge.
Here’s just one idea: SPICY CHICKEN – Marinate BONELESS CHICKEN (BREASTS or THIGHS) in the spicy juice for 30-60 minutes (or overnight in the fridge). Drain and grill them with a generous sprinkle of Ajika Georgian seasoning. When done, spoon a little extra spicy syrup on top of the finished grilled breasts with their own pan juices. Dot with a few slices of the jalapeños. You’re welcome.
Wait up, what….?!!! Trader Joe’s sells place mats? Yeah you read that right. These place mats recently appeared in the New Products “home goods” area at my TJ. Looking at them they so totally say “IKEA” cool to me. These intrigued me, then reading the label about how they’re made from “Supernatural Paper” (!) that really got me interested. Honestly I’m always intrigued that TJ’s has any home goods type things at all. They seem to especially appear around the holidays (I slightly regret not getting some olive wood bowls and cutting boards I saw last Xmas but they were a bit pricey even for TJ’s, but they looked beautiful and handmade). Anyway since we needed to replace some old place mats and these were just $10 bucks for a set of 4, I just grabbed them in kind of an impulse buy. I picked a darkish color out of the 4-5 colors on offer as I thought this darker grey / green color would hide dirt best. These mats are on the thin side meaning when you pick up a glass that was on them you may see a little ring depression where it was, but it brushed out easily by just swiping it with my fingers. They have what I might call all kind of faux leather texture. Feels a little like thick waxed rubbery paper? I believe there are two pieces sown together. “MADE WITH SUPERNATURAL PAPER (cellulose and latex). Latex = rubber. They say “CAN BE WASHED” (hand wash separately). I think I will avoid that if possible, and just wipe/wash them daily. Wiping them clean with a soapy sponge seems to work fine. I had a little stain from some food and just wiped the mat with a damp rag with a little soap and that took off the stain as I hoped. So the rubbery, waxy covering seems to work. I like them for a change from our textile place mats. My wife complained about the white stitching they have on the edges but that doesn’t bother me at all, I kind of like it. They have a funky feel going on…in a good Ikea way. The more I have used them and lived with them I have grown to like them more and really dig the funky Ikea-ness of these.
If you see them, check them out at least with a feel and see what you think. They are $10 for set of 4 mats ($2.50 each) and come in about 5 or 6 colors. Personally I would lean to the dark / earthy colors for hiding stains.
Trader Joe’s JUST BEETS 100% juice plus a splash of lemon
“Naturally sweetened with a subtle earthiness” As the name says this is “100% pure beet juice pressed from whole beets (with just a hint of lemon from concentrate)”. Trader Joe’s carries this in the refrigerated drinks section, so it’s fresh. Kind of what you might get if you went into one of those fancy juice bars except this was not made right in front of you by a cool tattooed up Juice Guy with a goatee throwing beets into a juicer who charges you seven bucks plus a tip. Still I think this tastes fresh enough so that if you shook it up hard, put it in a carryout cup with a cover, told me you just bought this from a cool tattooed juice guy I would probably have no reason to think otherwise 😉 Though it has a pretty long “good by” date, I think it tastes best within 3-5 days after you open the bottle so I drink it within a few days. Personally I would not down the whole bottle in one sitting. I have a nice big shot glass of this every day (3-4 oz?). The label states 80 calories in 8 oz. You get 20 oz for $3.99 which is probably less than that fancy juice bar would charge.
I love beets. I like this juice. It’s healthy and good for you, and drinking this every day can help lower your blood pressure! Just remember later in the bathroom to relax and think “Oh yeah I had those beets today.” You know what I mean, you are OK and not peeing blood. Beets do that to you.
RAVE
Update (Summer 2022) Unfortunately this seems to have been discontinued. If one reason you bought the beet juice was to control blood pressure as I did here’s a useful tip for a substitute : drink 3 cups of HIBISCUS TEA daily. I do. I like this brand I get on Amazon https://amzn.to/3CLECHc
Hibiscus is known to be a natural safe product that reduces blood pressure. Fact Google it.
“SWEET AND SALTY CLUSTERS MADE WITH ALMONDS, COCONUT, SUNFLOWER AND PUMPKIN SEEDS”.
“GRAINLESS GRANOLA” – Meaning no oats/grains, and mainly nuts. Wow is this good! When you cut open the bag, a huge waft of coconut smell hits you. You look inside and see clumps and clusters of Almonds, Coconut, Sunflower and Pumpkin seeds in a “salty, sweet” combination that is quite irresistible. I started just popping a few clusters into my mouth and they are delicious just like that as a snack. In fact, I could have eaten the whole bag if I didn’t stop myself. I can easily see Moms filling little baggies with this for yummy, healthy “Snackables”.
Next I put some of this cereal in a bowl with milk and yogurt and banana and it was even more delicious. Now I love granola, the regular kinds with oats, so for me there is no reason to be “grain-less” other than this is simply super delicious. I even put this on top of my regular granola as a crunchy topping. Ditto on my cooked steel cut oats. My suggestion is add some dried fruits, like cranberries or raisins which makes this Grainless Granola even better. As oats are fairly cheap and nuts are expensive, naturally this granola minus oats costs more than the regular granolas TJ sells, but its still a good deal and its so good you probably won’t care too much.
TJ’s got this one right and has a major hit here I think. Grainless Granola is $4 for a 10 oz bag. Try this, you will no doubt love it as much as I did. And yes it’s of course Vegan and Gluten Free. I guess its kind of aimed at “Paleo” people, which I’m not but frankly it’s something any homo sapiens will love.
I never heard of this apple before I saw them at Trader Joe’s. A hybrid developed in New Zealand, “Envy” apples are a hybrid of Royal Gala and Braeburn varieties. Both of those are excellent apples, and this hybrid, Envy, is well, just a terrific tasting apple. When I first tasted this Envy, my taste buds went pretty wild with “this must be one of the best apples I ever had”. Seriously this is just a great apple. Nice crunch, firm texture, sweet but with a hint of sour underneath? It’s a complex flavor, way more complex than just “sweet” like say a Honey Crisp apple or Red Delicious (yuck). Envy are a favorite pick of the Trader Joe’s crew, who I imagine taste everything they sell. I kind of trust those “crew picks”.
These apples go great with just about everything. What about Envy with cheese? Yes, please. I knew they would match well with most any cheese, and frankly there is absolutely nothing better than to slice up these apples and put them on a plate with the Unexpected Cheddar. What a combo these make together. Seriously. Try either that or Cabot cheddar with these apples. I would imagine Brie would be great, or let’s face it any cheese you like. I love these just eaten out of hand on their own of course. I like them in the morning, diced up for my breakfast cereal. Your kids will love these paired up with some peanut butter. I know I do. Envy sell for $1.29 each. A bit more than the apples TJ sells for 79 cents but worth the little splurge every now and then. So if you haven’t ever tried these, try one for yourselves. You may get hooked on them. I know I have. I always buy one when I’m at TJ’s.
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I never heard of this apple before I saw them at Trader Joe’s. A hybrid developed in New Zealand, “Envy” apples are a hybrid of Royal Gala and Braeburn varieties. Both of those are excellent apples, and this hybrid, Envy, is well, just a terrific tasting apple. When I first tasted this Envy, my taste buds went pretty wild with “this must be one of the best apples I ever had”. Seriously this is just a great apple. Nice crunch, firm texture, sweet but with a hint of sour underneath? It’s a complex flavor, way more complex than just “sweet” like say a Honey Crisp apple or Red Delicious (yuck). Envy are a favorite pick of the Trader Joe’s crew, who I imagine taste everything they sell. I kind of trust those “crew picks”.
Trader Joe’s Rants & Raves (mostly raves, a few rants) 
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