Trader Joe’s loves a taste takeover. They are pros at finding a flavor profile people like and then making every single item you can possibly imagine in that flavor. We saw it with “everything” seasoning. Ube has been the most recent TJ’s taste phenomenon. Trader Joe himself is always on the hunt for what will be the next craze to stock their shelves. Here are a few flavors I think Trader Joe’s might start mass-producing as their newest flavor darling.
- Fish Sauce
Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / iStock Fish sauce is one of the best ingredients of all time in my opinion. Trader Joe’s sometimes stocks Red Boat, a popular Vietnamese brand of fish sauce, but has yet to create their own products using the salty sauce. I think before long they’ll be venturing into making their version of nuoc cham. According to Vietnamese-American writer and cookbook author Andrea Nguyen, nuoc cham (pronounced “nook chum”) “literally means ‘dipping sauce’” and is also “used to dress noodle bowls and can be sprinkled onto rice.” It’s so flavorful and I think you could be seeing it on TJ’s shelves soon. Nuoc chum potato chips, anyone?
- Berbere
Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / iStock Berbere is an Ethiopian spice blend consisting of ingredients like chiles, garlic, fenugreek, cinnamon, allspice, and more. The exact recipe varies from cook to cook, but here is a good recipe from Ethiopian chef Marcus Samuelsson! The most important thing to know is that it’s incredibly delicious and complex. I am shocked that Trader Joe’s has not culture vultured this staple already, but I think it is only a matter of time.
- Aji Amarillo
Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / iStock Aji Amarillo is a yellow pepper that is commonly made into a paste. It is extremely popular in Peru and I predict it will be at your local Trader Joe’s soon enough. It’s a little sweet and a little spicy and I definitely see them working it into blocks of cheese, salad dressing, and some kind of frozen chicken entree.
- Yuzu
Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / iStock Trader Joe’s has already experimented with incorporating yuzu, a Japanese citrus fruit, into their products. They currently make a yuzu hot sauce that I love. It’s not super spicy, but the citrusy punch adds so much to any dish. They already dipped their toes in the yuzu pool with some success, so I think we can bet on TJ’s bringing more yuzu our way. Plus, yuzu is big in artisanal ice cream shops right now and I get the sense that Trader Joe’s looks to places like that for inspiration.
- Salted Egg Yolk
Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / iStock #FoodTikTok loves salted egg yolk-flavored anything, and there is definitely an FBI agent specifically helping Trader Joe’s keep an eye on trend forecasting. Even major news outlets are recognizing the rise of the salted egg yolk. The rich and creamy taste works perfectly with so many dishes and I think Trader Joe’s will be putting that to the test sooner rather than later. I’m absolutely positive that, at the very least, they will eventually make their own version of IRVINS Salted Egg Yolk Potato Chips.
Ms. Myrick, I spent most of my Army career in the Middle East and in Asia. I’ve not tried a couple of the spices/sauces you touched on, but I think the fish sauce is my personnal fave. While in the Middle East, they imported most of their goods from Europe and the UK. But as your choice of listing fish sauce as the 1st item, I commend your choice. Thank you.