Trader Joe's 3 Cheese Vegetable Ravioli

Trader Joe's just keeps churning out new variations on a familiar theme. This time, they've stuck mushrooms, Swiss chard, kale, and three Italian cheeses inside the ravioli.

There were 12 pieces in the plastic container. One of them tore open partially during cooking, as I tried to separate two that were stuck together, but it didn't spill out all of its contents as I've seen happen before.

The texture was fine, as always. The contents left something to be desired, though. I tasted almost nothing but cheese. Now, for me this is kind of a good thing, because I tolerate but do not love mushrooms. For Nina, though, it was a letdown. She wondered what's the point of featuring mushrooms if they're not going to be prominent and really wonderful. And, she added, kale does not belong in ravioli. This is a scientific fact.


Will I buy it again? 

No. I'd stick with this one, or this one, or this one.

Trader Joe's 12 Mushroom Mochi Potsticker Dumplings

I don't hate mushrooms as much as I do onions, but my tolerance for them is sufficiently limited that when they are some dish's main ingredient, I am virtually certain not to like it. I have not tried these. So I turn the entire review over to...


Nina's View 

Be still, my heart, be still.

I will admit out of the gate that these are unlikely to appeal to everyone as much as they do to me. Firstly, they are not at all like most people's idea of a potsticker—a dumpling made of a thin wheat-based pasta-like wrapper filled with vegetables and meat, generally prepared so as to have a crispy side and then steamed.

These are from the Japanese lineage of dumplings (hence: mochi). They are small, pillowy, and slightly sticky. It's a very particular texture, and you need to be prepared for it. You'll either like it or you won't. The filling is a savory mushroom mix that I find extremely tasty.

Unlike more conventional potstickers, you will not want a strongly-flavored dipping sauce (including vinegar, chili, fish sauce, ponzu etc.) with these. A few drops of light soy will do the trick.

I have just one complaint about this product and it's right up there in the title.

"12"

TWELVE??? ARE YOU KIDDING ME???

These are delicate, bite-sized morsels. AND THERE ARE ONLY TWELVE OF THEM. Which is totally nuts, because if you like these, you will want waaaaaaaay more than twelve of them.

So far, I've bought one box of these. I ate six at my first sitting and only iron discipline prevented me from preparing the rest and immediately devouring them. Next time, I doubt I will have that restraint.

Have mercy, TJ's, and give us a bigger quantity at a manageable price.