Trader Joe's Serrano Salsa Fresca

This is pretty heavy on the onions, which is usually a dealbreaker for me. But surprisingly, this time that wasn't what made me reject it--it was the cilantro. It's so loaded with the stuff that I think they ought to just call it "Cilantro Salsa" as a warning to all those who, like me, find it unpleasant.

I also thought it was mislabeled in terms of the heat quotient. The TJ's chili thermometer is shown at the halfway point, but I thought this warranted more than that--like maybe 3/4 of the way up.


Will I buy it again? 

No. I had maybe 10 corn chips' worth, and couldn't take any more. I gave the rest to Nina; she thought it was pretty good.

Roundup

This is my weekly compilation of news and other links about Trader Joe's.


Healthy Trader Joe's products nutritionists swear by

9 discontinued Trader Joe's products we wish would come back

What to buy in the Trader Joe's freezer aisle

5 wellness pros' must-buys at Trader Joe's

My Trader Joe's top 5

LAPD investigates string of armed robberies at Trader Joe's



Best tweets of the week:

Everytime I go to Trader Joe’s I fall in love with a different cashier. #TraderJoes #lifeissohard #justcant

— P P (@actuallypp) April 25, 2018

I often question the existence of #god, but Thai lime & chili cashews from #traderjoes point to yes. #cashews #snacks

— Michael Paletz (@michaelpaletz) April 25, 2018

I feel both tickled and disturbed to find my face on an “all occasion” napkin. Some occasions that call for the use of napkins don’t really bear thinking about … pic.twitter.com/8yqtspQSRu

— Stephen Fry (@stephenfry) April 26, 2018

RT if this is you at #TraderJoes. pic.twitter.com/IQv1OwINPC

— LearnVest (@LearnVest) April 26, 2018

Also I like how #TraderJoes just doesn’t have a twitter. pic.twitter.com/3Z5vyTVMHU

— Ted Schaller (@TedMannSchaller) April 27, 2018

And finally, here's this week's cute cat in a Trader Joe's grocery bag:

Trader Joe's Banana Bonanza Bread

I love this! Admittedly, the reason is primarily that I'm a sucker for banana, and this is so loaded with banana flavor that I can actually start tasting it before a forkful is in my mouth. Nina thought the texture was too "gummy," but I didn't. I ate half of the loaf by myself in one evening.


Will I buy it again? 

Yes.

Trader Joe's Seed & Bean Medley

This absolutely lives up to its claim of being crunchy and salty. In fact, if the crunchiness and saltiness here are not enough for you, I don't think you have anywhere left to turn short of going down into a rock-salt mine and gnawing on the walls.

The corn is huge, just like the Giant Peruvian Inca Corn. I also loved the chickpeas and fava beans. The edamame was OK. I thought the dried peas were an inspired addition, but there were very, very few of them to be found, sadly.

The biggest weakness is the pumpkin seeds. Subjectively, I just don't care much for them. Objectively, they're vastly overrepresented here--like nearly half of the volume.


Will I buy it again? 

Undecided. If it weren't for those darn pumpkin seeds, it would be a definite yes. I'll have to ponder whether the good half of the bag is worth putting up with--or wasting--the half I didn't like.

Trader Joe's Korean Style BBQ Sauce

I think calling this barbecue sauce is a misnomer, if not outright fraud.

After water and sugar, the main ingredient is soy sauce. This is followed by something called gochujang sauce, consisting mainly of sugar and miso. Bringing up the rear are sake, garlic, ginger, cornstarch, lemon juice concentrate, and red pepper. There's almost nothing traditionally barbecuish in the bottle.

From the product name, I expected a mainstream BBQ sauce with a soy-sauce accent--which I think would be interesting and potentially a winner--but frankly I found it hard to taste anything here except the soy sauce. A spiced-up soy sauce is really not what I want on my (fake/vegetarian) pulled pork.


Will I buy it again? 

No.

Trader Joe's Crunchy Cinnamon Squares Milk Chocolate Bar

This is basically an ordinary milk chocolate bar with a layer of cinnamon stuck to the bottom. The label says it's "bits of crunchy cinnamon squares cereal." I didn't find that. If there's any cereal, it's crushed to a power and mixed with the cinnamon.

I think chocolate and cinnamon is a new flavor combination for me. At least I can't think of anything else I've ever eaten that features it. I don't think it works well. It gave me a weird sensation of not being able to process both dominant flavors at once. I felt like, "There's the chocolate...oh, and there's the cinnamon. And some chocolate. And some cinnamon." This could easily be some strange brain wiring or sensory problem in me, rather than anything intrinsic to the candy bar.


Will I buy it again? 

No.

Trader Joe's Creamy Danish Havarti Cheese

This is, I think, only my second time tasting Havarti cheese, at least by itself. The first was this.

Its texture is OK, but really too soft and rubbery for my taste. The flavor is just too mild for me to really enjoy. Based on my two samples, I'd say this is a characteristic of Havarti cheese generally, not something peculiar to be faulted in this particular product. And I'm sure that what I see as a fault, others will see as a virtue. YMMV.


Will I buy it again? 

No.