Trader Joe's Rice Pudding

I had never had rice pudding before, so I don't know how this compares to others. But I found it to be basically sweetened, thickened milk with lumps of mushy rice, and I couldn't understand why anybody would want to eat it.

Am I missing something? Is this what's it's mean to be? Is all rice pudding like this? I'm left wondering these things.


Will I buy it again? 

No.

Trader Joe's Mango Chia Pudding With Cultured Coconut Cream

This is Day 19 of an apparently never-ending New Products Week, and Day 10 of Mangopalooza. 


No two ways about it, buying this was a mistake. And I knew it.

I was looking for the Mango Coconut Pudding, but its marked spot on the shelf was empty. This was next to it. So on an impulse, I decided to try it, though even as I put it into my basket I was thinking, "There's no chance I'll like this." I almost never buy products to try and review if it's virtually impossible that I'll like them--because what's the point? I'll be unhappy, and you won't get a fair-minded review. I broke that rule here, and I'm sorry.

It wasn't quite as bad as I expected, but three small spoonfuls was all I could stand. There is definitely a mango flavor, but I couldn't taste any coconut, despite the presence of coconut chips.

What I couldn't get past was the texture. It's slimy as all get-out. Really gross. And it looks just as bad--like some sort of semi-gelatinous green swamp water teeming with frog eggs.

Despite the unfairness of condemning a product that never had a fair shot at winning me over, this was bad enough to go in my Bottom Ten list.


Will I buy it again? 

[stares blankly at the person asking the stupid question]

Nina's View

Plain awful in every possible way. The texture is congealed snot. Seriously horrible. Pass me the spit bucket.

Trader Joe's Mango Coconut Pudding

This is Day 13 of an extended New Products Week, and Day Four of Mangopalooza. 


I started hearing about Mango Madness via Twitter posts before I set foot in the store and saw how crazy things had gotten. Of all the mango products that people were tweeting pictures of, this was the one I most wanted to try. When I thought about what a mango-coconut pudding would taste like if I were in charge of it, well, I'd eat that until I exploded.

I did not explode. I did not even eat all 12 ounces of pudding in one sitting, as I easily can with puddings that I really like. In fact, it took me three servings to get through it, and I wasn't particularly happy about the last of them; it felt more like a duty than a pleasure, but I powered through it because I still had not figured out what to write about the stuff.

Maybe this is Nina's influence evilly taking control of me, but the bottom line is that this stuff is just too sweet. When I was growing up, my mother would sometimes make a fruit salad that had whipped cream and marshmallows as its base. I loved it, but I knew all along that it was not much better than eating ice cream; the fruit was just there to provide an excuse for eating a bunch of cream.

That's what this reminded me of--and I don't get anywhere near the same feeling when I mix up a batch of Jello-brand banana cream or coconut cream pudding. When you make your pudding sweeter than those, you've gone too far.

Other complaints: It's not thickened enough, and the mango:coconut ratio is skewed much too high toward the coconut side.

Price: $3.49.


Will I buy it again? 

No. In the end, the only thing I really liked about this pudding was my wistful thoughts of how great it could have been.

Trader Joe's Corn Pudding

It's corn, eggs, milk, cream, butter, cheese, flour, sugar, basil, salt, and black pepper. How could it not be good? (I choose to ignore the fact that it also contains a small amount of the foul weed, onion.)

It's rich, sweet, yummy, decadent. A side dish that you just zap in the microwave and serve has no right to be good enough to earn a place in my Top Ten list--but that's what it has done.

If you still have a hole in your Thanksgiving menu, and you're not sure what additional side dish to have, pick up a carton of corn pudding. Unless you have guests who won't eat dairy, it's a guaranteed hit. Caution: Serves only two people, so you may need several packages.


Will I buy it again? 

It's probably not healthy for my cardiovascular system, but yes, dammit, some sacrifices must be made for the good life. I think that Trader Joe's rolls this out only around Thanksgiving, so maybe its seasonal scarcity will save me.

Nina's View

This is a really splendid example of convenience converging with comfort food. Yes, you could make this, and it probably would be relatively easy to do. Or, you could just buy the package and throw it in the microwave. Yes, you'll be adding to the nation's landfill overflow. Yes, there's probably more fat and salt in it that is strictly good for you. Your own version would definitely be healthier and less hard on the environment.

But you're not going to make your own, are you?

I thought not. So, if you're a dairy-eater, you're going to like this. (Maybe one of these days I'll try to make a vegan version of this. It will probably not be anywhere as good. But guiltlessness has a flavor all its own (for me, anyway).)

Trader Joe's Belgian Chocolate Pudding

This is Day 2 of CHOCOLATE WEEK. 


I can't believe this stuff doesn't get more love and attention than it does. It seems like the sort of Trader Joe's product that would have hordes of adoring fans. But I've been following all things Trader Joe's online for about a year now, and I think I've only seen it mentioned once. That was just recently on Twitter, which is what made me seek it out. I actually had to ask for help finding it in the store, because it was nearly hidden away, with just a few tubs in an obscure corner of a refrigerated case--as if TJ's has given up and decided nobody is going to buy it anyway.

Maybe that's because of its relatively steep price: $3.49 for 16 ounces.

Is it worth it?

Well, it's definitely distinct, unlike any other chocolate pudding I've ever had. It's unbelievably rich and choclatey. I can eat less than a quarter of a tub (i.e., less than four ounces) before I feel completely sated and can take no more. The mouthfeel is that of something stoked with fats--an impression confirmed by the cold, hard facts on the nutrition label.

Strangely, this seems not to have been reviewed by any of the usual TJ's blogging suspects. But when I wanted to see what reviewers may have thought of this item, Google pointed me to other sources:

A comparison test by the "Serious Eats" web site rated the TJ's product first out of nine contenders:

Our winner, Trader Joe's, was also ranked the most chocolatey of the bunch; as mentioned above, overall scores tracked "chocolatey" rankings very closely. It's the only one with "chocolate" in the ingredients, rather than cocoa powder; in comments, it was called "the richest," "the most like dark chocolate," "bittersweet in a good way," with "deep" or "actual chocolate flavor"; every single taster noted how pronounced that flavor was. The majority of tasters also liked the thick texture, called "creamy," "rich," "full," and "thick in a good way." 

A vocal minority strongly disliked this pudding for its texture, thinking it grainy, pasty, and too thick—closer to frosting than pudding. However, it had the highest "overall preference" score by nearly two full points, making it the decisive winner.

The Huffington Post did a comparison test of eight puddings. They ranked TJ's in 6th place:

Comments: "Has the texture of buttercream frosting, but it's chalky and the flavor is slightly bitter." "Too thick and bitter." "This is in a league of its own. Rich and complex." "I hate this." "Fudge-like but tastes off."

Finally, the "This Week for Dinner" blog has this to say:

My friend Michelle was telling me how this stuff is amazing. So amazing she bought it and hid it in the fridge so no one else in the family new it existed. Michelle is onto something. This pudding tastes like rich chocolate mousse, with a really great, thick pudding texture. SOOOOOOOOO good. Please note that my crazy sister who doesn’t “really like chocolate that much” {what?!?!} actually didn’t really like this pudding that much either…because it is all chocolate, people. GREAT chocolate.

Will I buy it again? 

I don't think so. It is really good. But it's so rich and fatty I can feel my arteries hardening with each swallow. I'm getting too old to lard up my body this way. Glad I tried it once, though.

Nina's View

I'm one of those supposedly oddball people who is not that crazy about chocolate. I like it once in a while, in moderation.

Shyeah—but if I had this stuff in my refrigerator I would eat it compulsively until it was all gone. Because OMG delicious. Words inadequate.

*ahem*

I liked every little thing about this foodstuff: texture, flavor, mouthfeel, smell. 

I will never, ever buy it, because my thighs are as big as I want them to be, thankyouverymuch.

Addendum 

OK, I'm gonna take the blog owner's prerogative and add this pudding to my Top Ten list. I was hesitant to do so, because it seems strange to say something is that good, while at the same time saying that I'm likely never going to buy it again. But since that appears to be Nina's position, too, I feel that I have some company, which emboldens me in making such an unusual call. My final bit of rationale is this: Every time I see somebody ask for a list of TJ's favorites, on Twitter or in a blog post, I send the link to my Top Ten list. (This happens more than you'd probably guess.) Including the pudding will perhaps get more people to try it, which I think it deserves.

So welcome to the Top Ten list, Belgian Chocolate Pudding!