Trader Joe's Organic Chia Seed

Trader Joe’s Organic Chia Seeds are a reliable, high-quality pantry staple that offers exceptional value for health conscious shoppers. Priced at $4.99 for a 12 oz bag, these seeds are significantly more affordable than many comparable organic options found at other grocery stores. The product features a neutral flavor profile and a consistent texture, making it an easy addition to a wide variety of dishes without altering the intended taste of your recipes.

The chia seeds are packaged in a resealable bag that helps maintain freshness and prevent accidental spills in the kitchen. In terms of culinary applications, these seeds are incredibly versatile. They're a primary ingredient for creating thick, creamy chia pudding and serve as a simple nutritional boost when stirred into morning oatmeal or blended into fruit smoothies. For those who enjoy more elaborate breakfast options, they provide a satisfying crunch as a topping for acai bowls.

In case you're interested, here's Sonia's recipe for surprisingly scrumptious mango chia pudding—even better than Trader Joe's now defunct Mango Chia Pudding.

4 tbsp chia seeds
1/4 cup canned full fat coconut milk
1 tbsp of honey
1 cup of frozen mango
1/2 cup 0% greek yogurt
2 oz of 2% milk
1 tbsp coconut flakes

Blend the milk, yogurt, honey, and mango in blender. Pour in glass container then add the chia and slowly mix in with other ingredients. Chill overnight 8-10 hrs. Top with mango chunks and organic coconut flakes.

Beyond breakfast and snacks, these seeds are an excellent resource for home bakers. They can be used as a direct substitute for poppy seeds in muffins, breads, or lemon themed desserts, adding a similar aesthetic and texture with the added benefits of omega 3s and fiber. They are indeed currently available at Trader Joe's as of the time of the writing of this review, and they tend to be in stock all year round. They've become a go-to item for many shoppers looking for an inexpensive source of the tasty, healthy seeds.

These are a repeat purchase in our house. They deliver on every front, from the ease of storage to their multipurpose nature in the kitchen. Whether you're focused on meal prepping or just looking for a simple way to elevate your favorite snacks, this product is a cost effective choice that holds up against more expensive brands. I'll let the beautiful wifey score this one solo.

Bottom line: 9 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Crew Member Cologne Collection

If you're anything like me, you find the olfactory landscape of a Trader Joe's to be comforting, soothing...transcendent even. And today's your lucky day. Forget all that fancy stuff with vanilla notes and jasmine. TJ’s has launched its debut fragrance line: the Crew Member Collection.

This isn't just perfume. It's a sensory activation. There are three signature scents, and yes, they come packaged in miniature, wax-coated cardboard boxes. Each one retails for only $9.99 and comes with a certificate of authenticity printed with its unique batch number.

Here’s my honest review:

1. Frozen Aisle & Cedar (the blue box) This one smells like existential dread and fresh produce. It opens with an aggressive burst of crisp, cold ozone—like when you reach into the display freezer to grab some hashbrowns—and mellows into a surprisingly grounded scent of damp cardboard. It smells exactly like the back stockroom on delivery day. Bottom line: 9 out of 10. (If you like smelling like crisp efficiency).

2. Aisle 4 Eucalyptus & Spice (the green box) This scent is a rollercoaster. The top note is undeniable: a chaotic blend of Everything But the Bagel Seasoning, chai, and cedarwood. It’s warm, garlic-heavy, and slightly abrasive. It dries down to a faint hint of eucalyptus that I’m convinced Sonia sprayed by the registers to keep the line calm. Bottom line: 7 out of 10. (You will smell savory).

3. Eau de Hibiscus Tote (the pink box) This is the breakout star. It smells like sweet, tart hibiscus but with a complex "aged cotton" finish. They captured the exact scent of a canvas tote bag that has been sitting in a hot trunk for two weeks. It's nostalgic, slightly fruity, and very aggressively branded. Bottom line: 10 out of 10. (Sonia stole my bottle immediately).

All three fragrances are unisex and cruelty free. The ingredients lists are...fascinating. Sonia would definitely pick up the hibiscus flavor or the frozen aisle one for a repeat buy. We're still on the fence about Aisle 4. Apparently, they used actual spiced chai oil, and I do have to warn you: these colognes do not wash off. You are a crew member now. Forever. Happy shopping!

Trader Joe's Pizza Bianca

White pizza lovers, rejoice. Because Trader Joe's just delivered something special. The new Trader Joe's Pizza Bianca is proof that tomato sauce isn’t mandatory for pizza greatness and honestly, after trying this, you might not even miss it.

Right out of the oven, the first thing that stood out to us was the dough. It’s fantastic. It's airy, crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside. The crust is made from dough that rises for a full day, creating a texture that feels closer to a bakery pie than your typical frozen option. That slow rise really shows up in the bite, giving the pizza a chewy, satisfying backbone that anchors everything else.

Speaking of everything else, this pizza boldly skips tomato sauce altogether. Instead, it leans on a creamy parmesan cheese sauce topped with mozzarella, more parm, dried onion, and rosemary. It's a combination designed to keep the cheese flavor front and center. Normally, I’m a tomato sauce loyalist, but this pie never felt like it was missing anything. The parmesan sauce and cheese medley bring plenty of richness, while the onion adds just enough sweetness to balance the savory punch.

We paired our slices with fresh arugula, which added a peppery brightness that worked beautifully. It also played nicely with a sprinkle of Trader Joe's Aglio Olio Seasoning, though honestly, this pizza doesn’t need any help. That simplicity is part of the charm. It’s flavorful enough to stand alone, but versatile enough that you can dress it up a bit if you want to.

At $4.99 for a 12.2 oz pizza, the value is excellent, especially considering the quality of the crust and toppings. The size is perfect for two adults for dinner. This is an easy repeat buy, and it’s heading straight into our personal pantheon of Trader Joe’s favorites.

The beautiful wifey gives Trader Joe's Pizza Bianca nine and a half stars. I'm officially going with a nine out of ten. The only real downside is that you might wish the pizza were bigger. This is one white pizza that absolutely earns a permanent spot in the freezer.

Bottom line: 9.25 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Organic Sweet Cream Creamer

If your morning coffee routine could use a little glow-up, Trader Joe's Organic Sweet Cream Creamer might be the easiest upgrade in the dairy aisle. The ingredients list is refreshingly short and every ingredient is organic. In a category where many creamers lean heavily on additives and mystery stabilizers, this one keeps things simple and classic. Even better, it costs $2.99 for a pint, which is a pleasant surprise when you consider big name competitors like Chobani and Nestle often charge more despite not being certified organic.

But price and ingredients only matter if the taste delivers. Fortunately, it does.

According to Sonia, the primary creamer consumer in our household, this stuff hits the sweet spot between rich and sweet without going over the top. It blends smoothly into hot coffee and adds a velvety texture that feels a little indulgent without tipping into dessert territory. The sweetness level is just right. Sonia reported that once she added this creamer, she didn’t need any additional sugar at all. That’s a small victory for both convenience and calorie counting.

The flavor is simple but satisfying—classic sweet cream. No artificial aftertaste, no chalky texture, just smooth dairy richness that rounds out a cup of coffee nicely. The beautiful wifey didn’t stop at coffee, either. A splash occasionally made its way into her morning oatmeal, where it added the same creamy sweetness and made breakfast feel slightly more luxurious.

As for me? I barely got a taste. Sonia moved through the pint with impressive efficiency, which might be the most convincing endorsement of all. Her one request for Trader Joe’s: expand the lineup. A few other flavor options would be very welcome. Until then, this sweet cream version is doing its job extremely well. I'll let the wifey score this one solo. She gives it nine out of ten stars.

Bottom line: 9 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Homestyle Cherry Pistachio Pecan Granola

Look, I don’t know who at Trader Joe’s decided to start moonlighting as a high-end pastry chef, but they deserve a raise, or at least a very firm handshake. For a mere five bucks, you get a 12 oz resealable bag of Homestyle Cherry Pistachio Pecan Granola that tastes suspiciously like it belongs in a zip code I can’t afford to live in.

Apparently, this stuff is modeled after the legendary granola served at Eleven Madison Park in NYC. You know, the kind of place where the water costs more than my car insurance. But instead of a $400 tasting menu, you’re eating this over a chipped bowl while wearing pajamas with holes in them. Pure luxury.

The first thing you’ll notice? The scale of the "bits" in Trader Joe's Homestyle Cherry Pistachio Pecan Granola. The cherries: not some sad, shriveled raisins-in-disguise. These are massive, succulent dried cherries that actually taste like fruit. The nuts: they didn't skimp. Pistachios and pecans are everywhere, providing a crunch that feels expensive. The coconut: there are oddly large slivers of coconut in here. I’m talking "could be used as a structural shim" large. It’s bold, it’s brave, and I’m into it.

The sweetness comes from maple syrup and brown sugar, which gives it a sophisticated depth rather than a sugar-rush-at-a-five-year-old's-birthday vibe. Plus, they used extra virgin olive oil instead of the usual industrial-grade canola oil. It makes the whole thing feel artisanal and posh.

The one catch? The texture is generally crunchy, pleasant, and nearly perfect, but keep your dentist on speed dial. Sonia found a cherry pit lurking inside one of those giant dried fruit pieces. It’s like a delicious game of Russian Roulette. Is it a snack? Is it a dental emergency? Only the first bite will tell.

Despite the potential for a broken molar, we're obsessed. This might actually be the best granola either of us has ever had. We'd love to try the real deal at Eleven Madison Park on our next visit to the Big Apple. I went with eight and a half stars in the video review, but now that I think about it, it's definitely Pantheon-worthy. Nine out of ten from me for Trader Joe's Homestyle Cherry Pistachio Pecan Granola. The beautiful wifey will throw out nine out of ten as well.

Bottom line: 9 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Simit Turkish Sesame Bread

I noticed at least one or two members of the Turkish diaspora gave their seal of approval to Trader Joe's Simit Turkish Sesame Bread. It is indeed imported from the nation of Turkey, so we have no reason to doubt its authenticity. Sonia and I picked up a package and have kept it in the freezer for the past couple weeks, looking forward to finally giving it a try.

Hot take: it's GOOD. Imagine the lovechild of a bagel and a pretzel with oodles of sesame seeds baked into the outer layer. And magically, the vast majority of the seeds stay attached even after heating, handling, and eating the simit bread.

It's got such a nutty, seedy taste. Similar to a bagel, the bread is slightly firm and crusty on the outside and it's soft and doughy on the inside. There's definitely a wheaty, yeasty element to the flavor profile, but it's mostly those yummy sesame seeds. As I said in our video review, "if you like sesame seeds, you really can't go wrong with this product."

We tried the simit with cream cheese, Trader Joe's Grecian Style Eggplant, hummus, olives, feta, and honey—not all at once, of course. Each and every thing we tried it with worked remarkably well. I even dipped a piece in ranch dressing, and it was pretty tasty. While this particular shape wouldn't necessarily lend itself to sandwich bread, flavor and texture-wise, it would serve that purpose perfectly.

This is case in point for why we shop at Trader Joe's—to travel the culinary world without leaving the state. I mean, Sonia and I have every intention of actually traveling the world in the future (we've got eight nations collectively under our belt already) and we might put Turkey near the top of the list just to try some true simit street food. Well done, Trader Joe's and whoever your third party Turkish supplier is. Thank you for introducing us to simit. We will buy it again.

$3.49 for four big round hoops of simit, brought to you from halfway around the world. Nine and a half stars from Sonia. I gave it eight and a half on the video review, but after trying it with feta, I might have gone with a nine. Either way, Trader Joe's Simit Turkish Sesame Bread winds up in the best of the best category here on WG@TJ's.

Bottom line: 9.25 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Watermelon Freeze Dried Candies

Next up in our prestigious SUMMER IN NOVEMBER series: watermelon candy. What's more summery than sugary candy? Sugary watermelon candy, that's what. Even Hailey Bieber thinks so. Kinda rando, sure. But hey, when have we not been random here?

This candy is amazing. I guess "amaze-balls" is pretty appropriate here. I mean, the candy is mostly spherical. Texture-wise, it's like astronaut ice cream sorta. I mean, all freeze-dried stuff is like that to some degree. This stuff is crispity, crunchity, and sweet as all get-out. It's also tart. Like, VERY tart. It's some of the best sour watermelon candy I've ever had.

It might be some of the best candy I've had, period. The flavor is so intense, it's difficult to eat more than two or three at a time. There's not a lot of sustenance there. It's mostly just sugar with natural flavors and natural colors.

In fact the first two ingredients are "sugar" and "corn syrup," but NOT high fructose corn syrup, thank goodness. If you're looking for a legit source of protein or a tide-me-over till dinner type snack, look elsewhere. If you want one of the best and most unique sweet and sour candies you've ever had, then this product is a MUST TRY.

There are a bunch of different colors in the bag, but there's only one flavor. That's our biggest complaint. We want more flavors of this stuff. Apple, grape, cherry, lemon...we'd try 'em all.

It's a pretty good buy at four bucks for the resealable bag. The candy is so light and airy, the net weight is only 1.5 oz. But trust me, that's 1.5 oz that's absolutely bursting with flavor. Sonia and I both love this stuff and would absolutely buy it again. Nine and a half stars from the beautiful wifey for Trader Joe's Watermelon Freeze Dried Candies. I'll throw out nine out of ten.

Bottom line: 9.25 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Apple Pie Spread

It's never been easier to turn an ordinary piece of toast into a delicious indulgent dessert. If you're like me, you like to consume an inordinate amount of calories around breakfast time because then you have the whole day to burn them off. That's what I tell myself, at least.

Following in the footsteps of other awesome autumn apple spreads from Trader Joe's like Trader Joe's Apple Cider Jam and Trader Joe's Apple Cider Fruit Spread, this spread is thick, sweet, and caramel-esque. It's got real apple bits and plenty of applicious flavor. It's surprisingly buttery. And I don't just mean creamy, texture-wise. I mean you can taste real butter in the syrupy spread.

There's brown sugar and cinnamon up in the mix. It's surprisingly rich and versatile. Everything from sourdough to ice cream is fair game. Traderjoes.com says you can even stir it into coffee. I better not tell Sonia about that or the whole jar will be gone by tomorrow.

My only complaints? It's messy. Have napkins and wet wipes on standby. I wish the apple bits were a tad bigger—more like apple chunks. Did I mention apple is the number one ingredient?

$3.99 for the 10 oz jar. It's kosher and shelf stable for a year if left unopened. Refrigerate after opening. In the video review, we gave it a unanimous 8.5 out of 10 score. However, we gave one of its predecessors nine stars, and it's at least as good as that one, so we'll upgrade the score here on the blog. Trader Joe's Apple Pie Spread is pantheon-worthy all the way.

Bottom line: 9 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Organic Fruit Leather Wraps

Trader Joe's offered these same fruit bars over fourteen years ago. They even had the same wrappers, same colors, and similar, if not identical, ingredients. I'm not sure which flavors they had back then, but we were fortunate enough to snag Apple Raspberry and Apple Wild Berry for a blog post in 2011. Pretty sure we'd had them a few times before we got around to reviewing them so many years ago.

And now, they're back! After a lengthy hiatus, Trader Joe's has these same Organic Apple _____ <---- "insert random other fruit name here" type fruit bars once again. They're certified organic and they're only 49¢ a piece. Talk about a blast from the past.

This time we picked up five different flavors. Organic Sour Apple Watermelon, which I'm pretty sure is brand new, Apple Blueberry, Apple Strawberry, Apple Raspberry, and Apple Wildberry. Yes, "Wild Berry" was two words in 2011 and is now a single compound word in 2025. Go figure. My spell checker prefers the two word version. Maybe it just needs a system update.

Raspberry and Wildberry are both good vaguely berry-esque flavors. They're sweet and fruity and we'd buy 'em again for sure. Strawberry and Blueberry are even better. There's no mistaking the flavor of either one. They taste distinctly like their eponymous berries. Strawberry is the sweetest of those four flavors by a good bit.

And the Sour Apple Watermelon? It is simply divine. It's super sweet and simultaneously super sour. It's got a bold, bright taste and the same soft, moist texture of the other fruit wraps. It honestly tastes like sour candy, but there's nothing in it but fruit juices, pectin, and malic acid. We would buy that flavor by the dozen.

Score-wise, there's a bit of a hierarchy with this one. Sour Apple Watermelon will get top marks, landing squarely in The Pantheon. Strawberry and Blueberry will get "really darn good" status, and finally Raspberry and Wildberry will get a "not bad" score.

Bottom line: Trader Joe's Organic Sour Apple Watermelon Fruit Wrap: 9.25
Bottom line: Trader Joe's Organic Apple Strawberry Fruit Leather Wrap: 8.5
Bottom line: Trader Joe's Organic Apple Blueberry Fruit Leather Wrap: 8.5
Bottom line: Trader Joe's Organic Apple Raspberry Fruit Leather Wrap: 7.75
Bottom line: Trader Joe's Organic Apple Wildberry Fruit Leather Wrap: 7.75

Trader Joe's Crunchy Chili Onion Sprinkle Seasoning Blend

At least one of our YouTube viewers mentioned this product in a couple comments, and we finally got around to trying it. So glad we did. Thanks, Jane Doe. I wish we could go back in time and add this to our big discussion about our favorite TJ's seasonings. We like the original Chili Onion Crunch product quite a bit, but this one surpasses it in the flavor department by a good margin.

The original condiment is certainly a bit crunchier than this one, although there is a distinct crunch element here as well, in the form of crispy fried onion pieces. I was never super enthused about the oiliness of the original topping, and we definitely don't have anything like that here. It's dry as a bone. That's a good thing IMO. I think it actually makes this product more versatile.

Flavor-wise, this blend is absolutely delicious. It's robust, zesty, and spicy—but not too spicy. It's a heat that you feel in your chest at least as much as your mouth. It tastes like sea salt, onion, garlic, chili, and pepper all mixed together.

It has a bit of brown sugar in the mix, too, so it's slightly sweet. I don't know if I've ever had szechuan pepper before, but that's one of the many elements in this mix, and it very well may be the magic ingredient. I'm not sure. 

This may be my new favorite seasoning from Trader Joe's. Nay. This may be my favorite seasoning blend, period.

$1.99 for the 2.64 oz shaker. Kosher. Nine and a half out of ten from me for Trader Joe's Crunchy Chili Onion Sprinkle Seasoning Blend. The beautiful wifey will go with nine out of ten stars.

Bottom line: 9.25 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Sesame Crusted Hardwood Smoked Ahi Tuna

I never had lox until I was an adult. I'm not sure if I would have appreciated it as a kid, to be honest. I mean, I've always liked most fish, salmon and tuna included. But the way it's served cold, often with cream cheese on a bagel was weird to me until I started eating bagels regularly.

Anyway, what I'm getting at is that we tried this product served in exactly the same way you might serve lox. That wasn't my smoothest segue into the review part of the blog post, but hey, it was actually Monday morning when I was composing this, so cut me some slack. This whole blog post will likely be clunky, but I promise it'll have good info like always. It might even be vaguely entertaining. Now what was I saying?

Back to the tuna. It's ahi tuna. There's a spiel about what "ahi tuna" means in Hawaii on the packaging, so I assumed the fish was sourced in Hawaii. But then I checked traderjoes.com and it says it's caught "off the coasts of Micronesia." Wait. Micronesia is a real country? I thought they made it up for Zoolander. Just kidding. I knew it was real. But why doesn't the packaging say "product of Micronesia" I wonder..? Seems like there might be some nefarious fish poaching going on here but I won't dime you out, Trader Joe.

Anyway, we can confirm that Trader Joe's Sesame Crusted Hardwood Smoked Ahi Tuna works at least as well as lox when placed on a bagel with cream cheese. Sonia added tomatoes, onions, and arugula to hers and she enjoyed it that way. It's very similar to lox in terms of texture, but you know tuna is less fishy than salmon, so it's more neutral. Also, the sesame seeds add a nice nutty flavor. There's a smokiness to the product, but it's nice and subtle.

I also threw together a makeshift poke bowl with this smoked tuna, some greens, rice, and yangnyeom sauce. I don't know if that's a legit poke bowl but it was pretty tasty. Sonia liked it, too. I should have added avocado. That would have made it even better.

Complaints? We wish there were more fish in the package. We wish each slab were just a tad bigger. We wish the bag were resealable. Still a winner in our books.

$6.99 for the 4 oz non-resealable plastic bag, found in the refrigerated section. Kosher. Would buy again. Nine out of ten stars from Sonia and me for Trader Joe's Sesame Crusted Hardwood Smoked Wild Caught Ahi Tuna.

Bottom line: 9 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Homestyle Angus Beef Meatballs

Honestly, I don't eat meatballs of any kind all that often. Sure, Sonia made some of her own to go with our pasta and Red Pepper & Almond Pesto a couple weeks ago. And we recently reviewed Trader Joe's Meatball Calzone, which is absolutely packed with meatballs. Furthermore, we may have yet another Trader Joe's meatball product on deck for a review in just a week or so...

But I mean, other than that, I really haven't had meatballs in a while and I've never eaten them with any regularity at any point in my life. June 2025 has been the meatballiest month of my entire life thus far. Some of you might be quick to point out that "meatbally" as well as its comparative and superlative forms are not even real words. Well then, friends, you must not have been following this blog for very long. Making up fictitious adjectives is a thing we do here.

These all-beef meatballs are scrumptacular. Maybe it's the high quality Angus beef in them. Maybe it's the stellar spice blend and panko crumbs. Maybe it's the way Sonia prepared them with love...but they're probably the best meatballs I've ever had. Certainly, they're the best pre-made, store-bought ones I've ever had.

For nine bucks, you get a dozen big beef meatballs. They've got a nice texture that's meaty and bready, soft and juicy. Garlic and onion purees give the product a uniformly savory flavor in every bite. Romano cheese, parsley, basil, and cherry powder round out the spices and secondary flavors for an outstanding overall taste.

We at ours with some elbow macaroni, marinara sauce, and cheese—but honestly they're quite noshable on their own. We'd love to try an all-beef calzone with this product inside. We'd also try a simple meatball sub with these the next time we pick them up. They're absolutely delicious.

$8.99 in the refrigerated section. Would buy again. Sonia and I will both go with nine out of ten stars on Trader Joe's Homestyle Angus Beef Meatballs.

Bottom line: 9 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Creamed Multi-Floral New Zealand Honey

So apparently, an earlier iteration of this product was the subject matter of a lawsuit in which Trader Joe's was accused of misleading consumers by stating that their product was "100% manuka honey" when in fact only 60% of the pollen used in making the honey came from the manuka plant.

From what I understand, the court ruling favored Trader Joe's and did not penalize them, but it certainly looks like they took steps to prevent any further litigation by relabeling the honey as "multi-floral" instead of simply "100% manuka." Also, the ingredients list now reads just "honey" whereas the prior product listed "manuka honey" as the sole ingredient.

I find it hilarious that traderjoes.com states that their New Zealand honey is similar to manuka honey but tastes "less medicinal." LOL. They're not holding a grudge or anything.

Anyway, you'll pay upwards of thirty bucks for most authentic manuka honey, but this one pound jar will only run you $3.99 at Trader Joe's. We called around and it's not available at every location but some stores still have it in stock as of the time of writing this review.

Speaking of a review, you're probably wondering how this product tastes. It's delicious. It has the typical sweetness of any other honey, but there are floral notes, herbal notes, and I'd swear there's something nearly fruity in the flavor profile—like an essence of apricot or something like that. Very interesting.

And even more unique than the flavor is the texture. The honey is "creamed." Apparently that just means that it's been whipped into a fluffy consistency. It's like there are bunches of teeny tiny honey crystals mixed into a normal liquid honey. I honestly like it better than the syrupy texture of run-of-the-mill honey.

As mentioned above, this product will run you four bucks. It is indeed a product of New Zealand. We'd buy it again. Nine out of ten stars from both Sonia and me for Trader Joe's Creamed Multi-Floral New Zealand Honey.

Bottom line: 9 out of 10 stars.

Trader Joe's Teriyaki Mushroom Mini Bao Buns

There are only two sets of heating instructions on this bag and one of them involves a steamer, which we don't have, so we opted for the microwave this time. Just plop three of the miniature bao buns on a plate lined with parchment paper—that's right, they want you to put parchment paper in the microwave—sprinkle with water and cover, heat on high for one to two minutes. Ours took about 1:50 to reach the perfect temperature and texture.

The buns came out soft, supple, and slightly moist. The "meat" of this dish features oyster, king oyster, and shiitake mushrooms. Sonia is a fan, while I...um, I just don't really like mushrooms. The filling has carrots and onions and a tasty spice blend that includes garlic, ginger, and soy sauce among many other ingredients.

Honestly, I think I really would have loved this product if it contained anything other than mushrooms. I did taste it though, and all the elements are high quality and most folks would probably enjoy it. One drawback: it doesn't come with a dipping sauce. We experimented with a couple different condiments in the video below including soy sauce and yangnyeom sauce.

$4.79 for nine bao buns. Vegan. Product of Vietnam. Sonia would buy again. She'll give Trader Joe's Teriyaki Mushroom Mini Bao Buns nine out of ten stars and I'll sit this one out, score-wise, due to my bias against mushrooms.

Bottom line: 9 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Yangnyeom Sauce

What I knew about yangnyeom sauce before purchasing this bottle from Trader Joe's: zero, zip, zilch, nada.

What I know about yangnyeom sauce now that I've tried it: it's a Korean-inspired product that's got a lot of robust flavor and sass. It's slightly sweet, slightly spicy, and surprisingly not very thick—thinner than your average American barbecue sauce. It goes great with fried chicken and it's absolutely delicious.

Sonia took the opportunity to whip up a Korean hot chicken pizza. We documented the whole thing on video and put it up on YouTube, as we are wont to do these days. It involved pizza crust, cheese, chicken nuggets, cilantro, and this yangnyeom sauce instead of your typical tomato sauce.

It was tasty. We'd absolutely buy this product again and we'd make that Korean hot chicken pizza again, too. Next time we might even follow the instructions and buy all the legit ingredients. At any rate, this sauce gets our seal of approval and an official induction into our Trader Joe's product hall of fame known as "The Pantheon."

$3.99 for the 15.5 oz bottle. Kosher. Not actually from Korea. Both Sonia and I give Trader Joe's Korean Style Yangnyeom Sauce nine out of ten stars.

Bottom line: 9 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Blood Orange Mochi

This mochi flavor is absolutely superb. If you enjoy sweet-tart citrus desserts, then this treat is for you. We've got the typical stretchy rice-based shell that we've seen many, many times before from Trader Joe's and other fine mochi retailers—in this case, it's a lovely shade of orange. And on the inside, we've got pink ice cream flaunting the delightful flavor of blood oranges.

It's such an interesting balance of intense orange and creamy sweetness. This might be my favorite flavor of mochi ice cream to date. I really wanted to down the whole box in one sitting. Since I'm not a complete monster, I saved half for my lovely wife. She enjoyed them at least as much as I did.

The box will run you $4.99 for six mochi. That comes to about 84¢ per ice cream ball. Considering how scrumptious they are, that's not a bad value. Gluten free. Kosher. Would definitely buy again. This product is marked with that "Limited Time" label on TJ's website, so I wouldn't sleep on it unless you want to wait until 2026 to try these. Nine out of ten stars from me for Trader Joe's Blood Orange Mochi. Sonia will go with nine and a half.

Bottom line: 9.25 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Amarena Cherry Goat's Milk Cheese

Growing up, there were a bunch of food allergies in my family so we avoided many common foods like cow's milk dairy products. We'd frequently buy goat's milk and goat's milk cheeses from local farmers as alternatives.

Oddly, it seemed we only ever bought savory goat cheeses. It wasn't until after I tried a few varieties of Trader Joe's chevre cheeses many years later that I learned to appreciate goat cheese as a sweeter dessert-style cheese. Even unusual combos like jalapeño and honey chevre became fast favorites of mine, garnering some of the highest scores we've ever bestowed upon TJ's products in the entire 15 year history of this blog.

If anything, this amarena cherry goat cheese tops them all. It's absolutely delicious. Somewhere between a cherry flavored cream cheese and cherry cheesecake, this spread is rich, creamy, yet not over-the-top sugary. It's got a great balance of the goat cheese and sweet-tart cherry flavors.

It's perfect on crackers or sourdough just by itself. We also tried adding some real fruit preserves, and it worked great that way, too. It's a seasonal product that will disappear pretty soon if it hasn't already, but it will reappear next year around early February if history repeats itself. It IS still available at our nearest Trader Joe's location as of the writing of this post.

$2.99 for the four serving package. Product of Canada. Sonia just wishes they sold a larger package of the stuff. This one will be gone in no time flat, and we'll have to wait almost a year to buy some more. The nutrition info is pretty reasonable, too, considering how scrumptious the product is. Nine and a half out of ten stars from Sonia for Trader Joe's Double Cream Amarena Cherry Goat's Milk Cheese. I'll throw out an exceptionally rare perfect ten out of ten on this one.

Bottom line: 9.75 out of 10.