If Trader Joe’s Discontinued These 7 Products, Our Food Director Would Cry Real Tears (2024)

• Groceries
• Trader Joes

updated May 1, 2019

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As much time as we all spend cooking, Kitchn editors probably log an equal amount of hours on Slack. We use it to talk about recipes we love, recap episodes of Nailed It, and obsess over common supermarket ingredients. (Oh yeah, and to talk about work.)

This morning, I was chatting with our Food Director, Hali Bey Ramdene, and she mentioned that, on a recent trip to Trader Joe’s, she couldn’t find her beloved smoked trout. “I am WORRIED,” she typed.

And that’s the (only?) problem with Trader Joe’s. So often we get attached to their products, only to deal with devastation if they eventually become discontinued. Not to upset Hali even more, I wanted to know what other products she’d be crushed over, should they ever become discontinued.

Here’s her list — and what she had to say.

1. Farm-Raised Smoked Trout, $3 for 3.9 ounces

“Do you see any smoked trout in this photo? No, right, because there is none. I am very afraid they aren’t carrying it. Please tell me I’m wrong. This is exactly what I live in fear of.”

2. Stone Ground White Grits, $2.29 for 14 ounces

“I love Anson Mills and all, but I don’t have to special order these grits. They disappeared for a while and my family had a tiny meltdown. Stone-ground grits are not, in any way, similar to instant grits. They take longer to cook (it’s why I love making them in the slow cooker or Instant Pot) and produce the most flavorful, creamy bowl of grits you can make. If there were a pot of creamy grits at the end of the rainbow, I wouldn’t bat an eye.”

3. Frozen Riced Cauliflower, $2 for 12 ounces

“It took me a while to get the hang of cooking riced cauliflower. Kelli, who is basically our cauliflower rice guru, coached me through and now it’s a staple in my freezer. I know there are other brands out there,but between the price and the size of the “grains,” this is my favorite. Please stay forever.”

4. Garlic Spread Dip, $3 for eight ounces

“There is life before this garlic dip and life after it. It’s basically toum, the Lebanese whipped garlic paste. You can make it — it’s little more than oil and garlic blended until emulsified — but the convenience of this store-bought version means I can use it with wild abandon. (There are four containers in the fridge right now.) Sometimes a scrappy dinner starts with the question of “What can I put this garlic dip on?” The answer has been roasted broccoli, roasted asparagus, pizza flatbreads, egg sandwiches, toast (bliss), and pasta.”

“We’ve been doing the bagel seasoning salt dance at Kitchn for a while now but this mix has made my life much easier. My favorite way to use it is the way Faith first made it for me: Drop a scoop of cottage cheese into a bowl, then add diced avocado, a drizzle of olive oil, and a shower of this blend. It’s sublime.”

6. Hot Smoked Salmon Filet, $8

“Sheela worked on a recipe for a salmon and bean salad a while ago and I’ve been obsessing over hot smoked salmon ever since. This is relatively new on the Trader Joe’s scene — and I try to buy it up so they know people want it. It’s the best price I’ve seen on hot smoked salmon by far.”

“I’m not a huge sweets person, but this salty, savory, sweet blend is my weakness. I love it on salads, for eating out of hand, and for crumbling on top of yogurt or cottage cheese.”

More on Trader Joe’s

What products are you worried Trader Joe’s might ever stop carrying?

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