The $5 Aldi Find You’d Think Came from Trader Joe’s
Have you ever eaten a snack at a friend’s house and decided instantly that it must be from Trader Joe’s? I know it’s happened to me at least a few times. Kaitlin Flannery, our Senior Social Media Manager, set out a bowl of gochujang almonds when I was at her house (painting her kitchen cabinets) and, without even thinking, I asked her what else she got when she was at TJ’s. And a similar thing happened when a friend served pickle-flavored popcorn during a party. (What? I’m curious! And it’s technically my job to find out!)
See, Trader Joe’s is known for — among plenty of other things — its assortment of fun, interesting, and flavorful snacks. In fact, we’ve got loads of posts dedicated just to the snacks at Trader Joe’s. So imagine my surprise when I served an Aldi snack to our former Food Director, Hali Bey Ramdene, and she didn’t believe me when I told her where it came from.
The snack in question? Chili Lime Cashews, which had set me back just $5.19 during a recent trip. Hali was so sure the nuts were from Trader Joe’s, I had to show her the bag! We told Faith Durand (our Editor-in-Chief), who bought a bag, too. And just like that, her husband also remained convinced they were from Trader Joe’s.
Buy: Southern Grove Chili Lime Cashews, $5.19 for 10 ounces
The thing is, you’d expect Aldi to sell cashews — just regular, salted cashews. Not seasoned ones loaded with a blend of spices and a hint of citrus. That just seems so … extra. So unexpectedly trendy. But it’s time to adjust your expectations because Aldi has a bunch of Trader Joe’s-like snacks. For a discount grocery store, there’s some serious innovation that goes into its products. (See: Your Aldi Store Is Getting a Makeover! Plus 6 Other Fun Insider Facts from Aldi.)
More on Aldi
What are your favorite Trader Joe’s-like snacks at Aldi?