I was looking for a Thanksgiving side dish that would be some sort of unusual twist on the traditional holiday fare. When I noticed this, it seemed like exactly the thing. Carrots and sweet potatoes, but "Thai-style"--perfect!
Well, it's a fine idea, but poorly executed. As Nina noted, there's nothing distinctly Thai about it. Which is kind of surprising, after realizing that the list of ingredients seems to hit all the right notes: coconut milk, onions, red curry paste, chili peppers, red bell peppers, lemongrass powder, turmeric, lime juice, ginger, etc. But it all somehow gets badly muted and ends up just conveying a vague sense of mild spiciness.
It's not bad. We both ate our share, and I finished up the rest with lunch a few days later. But it feels like a letdown, as if a really creative idea had been ruined somewhere between conception and production. I blame that infamous Trader Joe's Blandification Committee.
Will I buy it again?
No.
How lame! I thought this sounded great but am traveling a lot and not buying many groceries as a result. Surprised it was bland, some of TJs spicy things really are!
ReplyDeleteTtrockwood
I really, really did not like this. And I did not finish my portion.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. It's perfectly edible, IMO. Nothing gross about it. But super flavorless! I had to add a whole bunch of spices and seasoning before it was worth eating. The name makes it sound like it should be much better than it actually is, so that's a let down.
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