The 6 Best Condiments You Can Only Buy at Trader Joe’s

In 1964, Nico Jacobellis, the manager of a movie theater in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, was fined $2,500 and accused of violating Ohio’s obscenity statutes, all because he screened a then-controversial French film about adultery. Even though the state Supreme Court upheld the charges against him, the case went all the way to the United States Supreme Court, where the justices were tasked with determining whether the flick — and Jacobellis’ willingness to show it on the big screen — should’ve been protected by the First Amendment.

The Court overturned the charges against him, but it wasn’t unanimous, and the justices couldn’t agree on a definition for what constituted obscene material, and how freedom of speech should (or shouldn’t) apply. “I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so,” Justice Potter Stewart famously wrote. “But I know it when I see it.” That phrase — “I know it when I see it” — has become an accepted way to define something that is otherwise difficult to define, like what is or isn’t an obscene movie. Or what is or isn’t a condiment.

Ask a dozen people what they consider to be a condiment, and after they name the usual suspects (ketchup, mustard, and mayo), you’ll probably get a dozen different answers. Merriam-Webster’s official definition of a condiment is “something used to enhance the flavor of food,” but that’s not officially helpful, because what I consider to be a condiment, others might call a sauce — and vice-versa. An “Ask Reddit” comment thread couldn’t agree on a consensus, not even about ketchup.

All of this is a long-winded way of saying that, before I started writing about the best condiments at Trader Joe’s, I stood in the aisle with a jar of Peach Bellini jam in one hand and a container of Speculoos Cookie Butter in the other, wishing that Potter Stewart was still around. I don’t know a condiment when I see it, although I reluctantly put the cookie butter back on the shelf. (That would seem to be a spread. Or a complete meal, if your eating habits are like mine.) After a Justice-worthy amount of mid-store deliberation, I’ve decided the following: these are all condiments, and they’re the best that Trader Joe’s has to offer.

Let’s get some controversy out of the way first: I’m calling Peach Bellini Jam a condiment, because it absolutely enhances the flavor of food. (But it also works as a base for a delicious sauce or glaze for baked chicken, and it pairs well with cream cheese). Regardless, TJ’s doesn’t skimp on the peach chunks in this jam and, true to its name, the ingredient list includes Prosecco.

One TJ’s aficionado described this as “one of [the store’s] signature oddball items,” which is 100 percent true. (It has also been discontinued and resurrected at least once, so I have a tendency to stockpile it.) I’ve mentioned before that I really like TJ’s frozen tuna and salmon burgers, and this is a top-shelf accompaniment. It also can be used to make world-class tuna salad.

Yuzu, a tart Asian citrus fruit, has been turned into a tangy hot sauce that gives a slow-burning kick to fish, chicken, or pork. A drop or two can also add a real punch to salad dressings or dips, whether they’re homemade or just from a different shelf at Trader Joe’s. (My boyfriend has found a way to put it on everything and, so far, the only real misstep has been eggs. I warned him.)

Okay, calling this a condiment is a disservice to condiments — and to fig butter. First, if you love figs, this will be your jam (no pun intended), because that’s the entire flavor profile, right down to the seeds. It’s become one of my go-tos for chicken breasts (TJ’s itself has suggested using it as a glaze), but it can also serve as a solid addition to a cheese board, replace the J in a knockout PB&J, or sub-in for the sauce on a prosciutto-heavy pizza.

If you know your way around real Korean BBQ, then you’ll know that this is more of a Korean-adjacent sauce (despite the fact that Trader Joe’s says that it’s “worth its weight in bulgogi.” Um, no, only real bulgogi is worth its weight in bulgogi). Regardless, it’s a good alternative if you’ve burned yourself out on other BBQ sauces, and its combination of sweet soy and spicy gochujang will make it a welcome addition to your fridge.

Related: The Best BBQ Sauce Comes From Trader Joe’s

My fave Mexican restaurant makes a ridiculously good salsa verde and, whether I eat in or get a ton of al pastor to go, I always ask for, like, a gallon of extra sauce. I hadn’t found a store-bought substitute until I saw this Green Dragon’s one stylized eye staring back at me. It’s a super combo of tomatillos, jalapeños, and habaneros, and it works with everything that could use some extra heat — especially huevos rancheros.

When I saw the words “very spicy” on this label, I knew Zhoug and I would be friends. The sauce’s origins are found in Yemeni-Jewish cuisine, and it has been described as like “Middle Eastern pesto.” Zhoug works as a complement to meat, fish, and falafel; as a mix-in for yogurt dressing or tahini; or even as a pasta sauce. It’s heavy on the cilantro, garlic, and heat, so a small amount brings big flavor.

What other condiments (or questionable condiments) do you swear by at Trader Joe’s?