5 Trader Joe’s Groceries Our Readers Recently Raved About

Just last Sunday, I was walking down the street when I overheard not one, but two conversations about Trader Joe’s. The first was a guy on his cell phone who was saying, “No, man, you’ve gotta get them at Trader Joe’s. You really shouldn’t get them anywhere else!” (It took every ounce of willpower in me to not totally insert myself into his call and find out what he was talking about.) The second conversation was a mom with her two young kids: The smallest was just singing aloud, “I love Trader Joe’s. I love Trader Joe’s. I love Trader Joe’s.” That 4-year-old knew what’s up.

And so do our readers, because you guys are also always talking about Trader Joe’s. Here are five Trader Joe’s products some of you recently raved about. We can also vouch for all of them!

Perhaps you’ve had Trader Joe’s regular Tzatziki Creamy Garlic Cucumber Dip? But have you had its green cousin? It’s a blend of Greek yogurt with avocado, plus diced cucumbers and a hint of jalapeño peppers. It’s more fun than the regular tzatziki and really spices up a sandwich or a burrito.

Love pastrami? And smoked salmon? You can’t go wrong with this somewhat untraditional combo. Not only is it totally unique, but it’s also smoky and extremely tasty. After it’s smoked, it’s rubbed with pastrami spices (black pepper, coriander, allspice, and paprika), so it really does have a hint of that classic pastrami flavor. Put some slices on a cheese board, in a noodle bowl, or on a bagel with cream cheese.

This is seriously one of the best condiments you can get at Trader Joe’s. What is it, though? It’s “a very spicy green herbal sauce with Yemeni roots,” of course. It’s been described as a “Middle Eastern pesto” and works on meat, fish, falafel; in yogurt dressing or tahini; or even as an add-in to cauliflower rice. It’s heavy on the cilantro, garlic, and heat, so use it sparingly.

For those of you who are looking for a more-than-passable meatball replacement that doesn’t actually have any meat, this is your ball. It’s moist and has a very similar texture to ground beef. It doesn’t taste exactly like a meatball, though, so it’s really best served slathered in sauce.

If you’re not making your French toast with this stuff, you are doing it wrong. (Although we’re also into this idea, which features Trader Joe’s frozen French toast.)