Now that the initial wave of excitement over Pumpkinpalooza has died down a little bit, I thought we’d do a quick Yay or Nay on three new not pumpkin/maple Trader Joe’s items.
NAY –– I fully expected to like Trader Joe’s Cheesy Seasoning blend. It seemed like the perfect thing for popcorn, but you’ll find that this seasoning blend does in fact have other herbs and spices in it including onion, garlic and rosemary. I tried it on popcorn and those spices were just too in my face. It might work fine on potatoes. I’ve seen plenty of people who like it, so YMMV, but it’s just not for me. I guess I’ll just be using the mac and cheese powder on popcorn from here on out.
NAY — Well, they’re not lying when they say they’re SOUR jelly beans. I grew up on those sour red licorice coated in, well, whatever it is, citric acid powder, maybe?! But dang, these made my whole face pucker up. Too sour. It’s a shame, really. Maybe if you mix them with some regular jelly beans?
YAY – I’ve never been to Korea to have the real thing, but I liked Trader Joe’s version of hotteok. (I wish they would use their packaging to do a little more customer education and share the Korean word for these on the front. Poffertjes is on the front. Kunefe is on the front!) The filling on these “Sweet Cinnamon Filled Korean Pancakes” is more of a paste than a syrup, so I wouldn’t call them “lusciously gooey” as the label claims. That said, these are good. They’re made with a yeast dough, so the pancakes have a little more spring to them than say two American pancakes sandwiched together. Heated up in the air fryer, they make a great little sweet treat or snack. I’d thought to do a comparison with a Korean brand, but I haven’t needed to stock up at H Mart lately. I hear they come in other flavors, too. If you have a favorite other than the cinnamon, let me know.
Check out some other We Tried’s from Trader Joe’s:
Trader Joe’s Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Bites
Fein Dining
October 11, 2021 at 9:06 amWow, only a 33% success rate for a TJ’s trio is shocking! We loved those hotteok too. Would still love to see that comparison with a Korean brand from H Mart!