If a new product shows up in the Trader Joe’s dip section, we’re probably going to buy it. TJ’s may fall short if you’re just doing your weekly shopping—like, sorry, I require freshly sliced deli turkey and brand-name toilet paper—but if you’re shopping for a party, you’re golden. So many dips for chips! So many spreads for crackers! So many greasy little frozen morsels to gorge yourself on! Anyway, this new Tirokafteri (full name: Trader Joe’s Tirokafteri Spicy Greek 3-cheese Spread with Roasted Red Peppers) was a must-try for us.
If you’re not familiar, tirokafteri is a spicy feta cheese-based concoction that can be used as a dip for pita, meats, or veggies. Maybe you’ve had it as part of a mezze platter or, hey, maybe you’ve never had it at all. We picked up the TJ’s version to see whether we’re freaks for this Greek condiment.
I’m honestly not sure whether I’ve had tirokafteri in the past, even though I love cheese, I love peppers, and I love going to the annual Greek fest at my nearest Greek Orthodox church. But, wow, what a concept. Tangy feta mixed with roasty-tasting peppers and a touch of heat? I can’t imagine it’s too easy to screw up a combo that iconic, and I’m pleased to report that Trader Joe’s did not screw it up.
Their Tirokafteri is good. You really get a perfect blend of feta and roasted red pepper, although it’s pretty light on heat for something labeled “spicy.” Also, it’s a bit loose—roasted red peppers are liquidy, after all—so it strikes me as more of a dip than a spread. But give me a tub of this and some pita chips, and I’ll give your party extremely high marks.
Howdy! I’m Gwynedd, Sporked’s managing editor. I live in Los Angeles and have access to the best tacos the U.S. has to offer—but I’m a sucker for a crunchy Old El Paso taco night every now and then. I’ve been at Sporked since 2022 and I’m still searching frozen mozzarella sticks that can hold a candle to restaurant sticks.
Why you should trust me: I’ve been a journalist for 20 years (yikes), a consumer of food for 40-plus years, and I’m truly hard pressed to think of foods I don’t like (or that I can’t tolerate at the very least). Oh and one time I cooked my way through Guy Fieri’s cookbook and wrote about the journey through Flavortown.
What I buy every week: Trader Joe’s Original Savory Thins. Fat free plain yogurt (usually Fage or Nancy’s). Honeycrisp apples. Sweet cream coffee creamer for my at-home Americanos. A frozen cauliflower crust pizza and some jarred mushrooms to top it with. Old El Paso Stand ‘N Stuff taco shells and Gardein Ground Be’f, even though I think “be’f” is a nightmarish contraction.
Favorite ranking: Stouffer’s frozen dinners. I don’t own a microwave (I get my cancers the old fashioned way!), so I love taste testing things that I don’t really buy to eat at home.
Least favorite ranking: Soy sauce. Don’t get me wrong, I love soy sauce—but consuming that much sodium in one sitting is probably illegal in some countries. Our frozen enchilada taste test was a close second; the smell of microwaved corn tortillas still haunts me.
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!
Excellent review of TJ’s Tirokafteri. I had only heard it called Kafteri by my Greek friends. I was very sad yesterday when I couldn’t find it, My Trader Joe’s manager told me they have stopped selling it.
My local restaurat’s kafteri is SPICY. I doctor up TJ’s with some extra feta and some red pepper flakes. Even better – heat it up and serve warm with pita chips.
So delicious – last time I served it at a family party, everyone thought it was from scratch.
Gwynedd Stuart
Jessica Block
Naajia Shukri
Excellent review of TJ’s Tirokafteri. I had only heard it called Kafteri by my Greek friends. I was very sad yesterday when I couldn’t find it, My Trader Joe’s manager told me they have stopped selling it.
My local restaurat’s kafteri is SPICY. I doctor up TJ’s with some extra feta and some red pepper flakes. Even better – heat it up and serve warm with pita chips.
So delicious – last time I served it at a family party, everyone thought it was from scratch.