Trader Joe's Tomme De Savoie Raw Milk French Alpine Cheese

I had never heard of this variety of cheese before, but it was the featured "spotlight" cheese this week, so I found the smallest block I could (because it's expensive and it might be awful) and brought it home.

It was not awful. In fact, I liked it a lot. Soft and rich. As happens so often with new-to-me cheeses, I'm at a loss for how to describe the flavor, but it's quite different from anything I remember having before. Here's Wikipedia on it.


Will I buy it again? 

Yep. Next TJ's run I'm going to grab a bigger chunk. Get it while you can; it won't last long.

Roundup

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


8 seemingly healthy Trader Joe's products that actually aren't good for you

Comparison test of vegan ice creams

Trader Joe's employees share the best parts of the job

Comparison test of mayonnaise

Taste test of WalMart and Trader Joe's wines

Taste test of grocery store hot dogs

A&E guide to Trader Joe's snacks

Guide to vegan shopping at Trader Joe's

5 dairy-free coffee creamers you should try

Does Trader Joe's alkaline water come with false implied health claims?

7 Trader Joe's vegan products to try 

27 Trader Joe's frozen foods people swear by



Best tweets of the week:

Hey #TraderJoes if you guys can’t get this math right I can’t trust you. @TraderJoesList pic.twitter.com/M5hTdWfrr7

— Nick Foxer (@NickFoxer) July 15, 2018

#Traderjoes toasted coconut pancakes are the reason I’ll never have abs. pic.twitter.com/OmEtL65XNK

— Louie Cortes (@NewNeedleProd) July 15, 2018

Today, as I was entering #traderjoes, a guy handed me his cart as he was leaving and said “Good luck in there.” 😂

— Chels (@chelsmeisel) July 14, 2018

Can you imagine how much better life found be if #TraderJoes had a twitter account?

— Melissa “keep families together” Kravets (@pikachooseyou) July 14, 2018

I just had a #TraderJoes cashier LECTURE me about my food choices! 😱 I remarked I liked their soups bc it was an easy way to get vegetables and she said that “didn’t count” and started scolding me and babbling about macros.

— Allegra Martin (@martin_allegra) July 14, 2018

Driving around Wrigleyville today & it looked like a #TraderJoes convention...turns out it was just a Jimmy Buffet concert.

— Jenn Jarmula (@JennJ74) July 14, 2018

ate a salad for lunch trying to be healthy and end up eating more than enough #TraderJoes mini chocolate chip cookies to cancel out that theory. 🙄🥗🍪🚫

— Jenny Bates (@jennycbates) July 13, 2018

I dont know what trader joes puts in these dog treats but everytime I come home with a box, my dogs turn into stalkers. #TraderJoes #dogcrack #canihaveanother pic.twitter.com/C5AvoouU5Y

— Mary King (@unscoolsupermom) July 13, 2018

#TraderJoes either got a food stager that put too much jelly in those sandwiches or the food production line forgot to add a bit more jelly and completely ran out of peanut butter. pic.twitter.com/yGRDTpWzim

— Forgotten Gems (@ForgottenGemz) July 12, 2018

Walking across #ucsb campus on the hour just now, I overheard a little girl saying, "Does that bell [from the bell tower, chiming the hour] mean they're out of something like the bell at #TraderJoes?" #outofthemouthsofbabes

— Emma Parker (@eparker116) July 17, 2018

The actual best thing I ever had in my life #TraderJoes pic.twitter.com/uu7SrY7hHI

— Lucy Checchio (@iilovelucyyy) July 17, 2018

I was whining about my cold and the cashier at #TraderJoes gave me free flowers. So nice. pic.twitter.com/4k0wLq1LfE

— Chris Carmichael (@cdcarm) July 17, 2018

#TraderJoes Cashier: Any plans for today?
Me: That’s a little personal, isn’t it?
Cashier: Well, we could stand in silence here.
Me: I’m good with that.
Cashier: Me too.
(Both #INFP)

— Jamie S. (@Twinmom0) July 18, 2018

The secret to my success: going to #traderjoes at 8 AM. pic.twitter.com/sWaJWm3QHc

— Vera Rosenberg (@swverausc214) July 19, 2018

TFW when your local #TraderJoes has been out of your favorite drink (moroccan mint tea) for 2 weeks and won’t have it in stock for 2 more weeks 😭😩🤬😞 pic.twitter.com/a2v5cD3kDo

— Ifelicious® (@ifelicious) July 19, 2018

I experienced #traderjoes for the first time today pic.twitter.com/lALxPp5wNg

— madison (@Tatiana_Coffee) July 19, 2018

Trader Joe’s is a lie. They only accept money for their stuff. A box of old Legos? Nope. Won’t take it. Some cool rocks? No way. A few shirts? Not even if they’re collared. Family heirlooms? Yeah - if the heirloom is money. Otherwise, nope. #TraderJoes

— Alan (@Cheeriebomb) July 20, 2018

If a genie in a bottle granted me 3 wishes, 1 of them would definitely be "I want a #TraderJoes in Edmonton."

— miazu (@miazu_) July 21, 2018

And finally, here's this week's cute cat dogs in Trader Joe's grocery bags.

Sometimes pure joy comes from the contents of a simple brown paper bag. Who wouldn’t love this kind of doggy bag❤️ Thanks for the bags @traderjoes #doggybags #grocerybag #paperbag #paperbagday #traderjoes #huntingtonbeach#abc7eyewitness pic.twitter.com/2NHTgAXfco

— LouLou & Gipper (@LoulouHoltz) July 12, 2018

Another Trader Joe's supplier outs itself on Twitter

All sorts of articles about Trader Joe's scattered across the intertubes speak of what an iron-clad secrecy agreement the company's suppliers must sign in order to provide food items to sell under the TJ's label.

But as I've been watching the #TraderJoes hashtag on Twitter for several years now, I've seen a number of suppliers apparently so excited to land the TJ's contract that they're unable to refrain from outing themselves. The one pictured above just happened today.

Here are some others I've previously noticed:

http://exploringtraderjoes.blogspot.com/2017/02/special-post-supplier-found-probably.html

http://exploringtraderjoes.blogspot.com/2017/03/another-tjs-supplier-identified-via.html

http://exploringtraderjoes.blogspot.com/2017/03/trader-joes-mull-of-kintyre-scottish.html

https://exploringtraderjoes.blogspot.com/2015/04/a-special-note-on-trader-joes-gourmet.html


When I find these, I always wonder if the tweets get the supplier in trouble with TJ's. But I don't expect to ever find out.

I tweeted this question to the Underwood Ranches account. If I get a response, I'll post it here.

Don't you sign a confidentiality agreement with Trader Joe's, under which you're not allowed to identify your company as the supplier?

— Robert Woolley (@RandomlyBob) July 20, 2018

Addendum: 

The reply:

There isn’t anything confidential about private labeling. And as a consumer, it is always best to know where the product you purchase under a private label originates.

— Underwood Ranches (@URanches) July 20, 2018

Trader Joe's Tikka Vegetables

This is the second of two new heat-and-serve pouches of "Indian Fare" sauces Trader Joe's has recently released. (For the first, see here.) I liked this one much more than the first. Not too hot, with a variety of flavors and textures, all with virtually no work of preparation (except for cooking the rice to go under it).


Will I buy it again? 

Yes. It's hard to beat the combination of price ($1.99), convenience, and flavor.

Trader Joe's Yellow Tadka Dal

Nina bought and served both this new product and its shelfmate. (See Trader Joe's introduction to these items here.)

This one, oddly, was simultaneously spicy and bland. That is, it had a fair amount of peppery heat, but otherwise was nearly flavorless. I found nothing objectionable in it, but also nothing to make me actually enjoy it.


Will I buy it again? 

No.

Trader Joe's Mouth Wash With Tea Tree Oil & Cool Mint

This is pleasant enough, though the tea tree oil component lends it a bit of an odd taste that I haven't gotten used to even after using this for a few weeks. I wish it had a cap that could be used for measuring a dose, like nearly every other mouthwash on the market has.


Will I buy it again? 

No. I want my mouthwash to have fluoride in it, though I admit that I might just be deceiving myself that that small amount is doing any good for my teeth.

Roundup

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


12 Trader Joe's products for vegetarians that are out of this world

Best Trader Joe's cheeses

21 favorites from Trader Joe's

The 9 best beauty products at Trader Joe's

Deer has Trader Joe's peanut butter jar stuck on her jaw



Best tweets of the week:

Wanted to introduce you to a unique New York behavior the TJ Cup.#nyc #newyork #manhattan #traderjoes #TJ #basketball #football #soccer #worldcup #kickinit pic.twitter.com/3zdPLfs8AK

— mirena rhee (@mirenarhee) July 9, 2018

Looks like the #potofgold is at #TraderJoes in #Gainesville #Florida pic.twitter.com/BLbA8A6e0D

— Jan G. 🌻 (@GoesswhosTweetn) July 11, 2018

Answered an unknown number thinking it was co. manager but heard in a cheery voice, “Congratulations, you have won...” to which I hung up immediately. Now I have a nagging feeling it was #traderjoes calling to tell me I finally won the bag lottery. #curses

— Orville Mendoza (@OviActor) July 11, 2018

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