Trader Joe's Spicy Salmon Gyoza

Perhaps the best consequence of writing this blog is that I buy and try something that I never would otherwise, just because I've decided to sample everything TJ's puts out that isn't in my "automatically will hate" category--and every once in a while I'm hit with the happy surprise of liking something unexpectedly. This is one of those occasions.

I don't mind salmon, but it's rarely what I'll choose from a restaurant menu, and never what I'll choose to make for myself. So I felt about 95% confident that my reaction to spicy salmon gyoza would be somewhere between "meh" and "ick." But no! I liked them--a lot.

Now, perversely, this may be because the addition of a vegetable mash and a lot of spices makes the salmon less distinctively salmon. That was basically why Nina's reaction to these was much less favorable than mine; she felt that salmon is delicate, and can't stand up to a lot of tampering. (She also voiced a suspicion that they use low-quality salmon here, because who would take good salmon and make it so that it's hard to taste?) But for me, that's a feature, not a bug. I think they've nailed a nice blend that causes the salmon to shine like the soloist in a concerto, supported by an orchestra, rather than standing on the stage alone.

The first time I made these, I used the microwave method, even though I suspected that it was suboptimal. It was fast and easy, but the pastry pouches were kinda mushy. When I prepared the last third or so of the bag for myself for a lunch the next day, I used the pan-fry instructions. This involved more time and work, but the texture ended up much nicer.


Will I buy it again? 

Definitely. It's a surprise new favorite.

Trader Joe's Japanese Style Fried Rice With Edamame, Tofu And Hijiki Seaweed

Well, this is unlike anything I've eaten before. I've never knowingly had anything with seaweed in it, and my experiences with tofu can be counted on one hand. The third accent ingredient, edamame, was completely unknown to me until I started writing this blog, though I now eat it regularly in TJ's Soycutash, which is one of my favorite frozen veggies combos.

I'm not in love with the combination, but I didn't object to it nearly as much as I might have. Nina and I ate about half the bag as part of dinner, and I finished the rest with lunches over the next two days. There's a whole bunch of different flavors going on here, and since some of them are outside my little zone of familiarity--soy sauce, rice wine--I don't know how to unpack or analyze them.


Will I buy it again? 

Probably not, but Nina liked it, so I won't be surprised if I encounter it again at her house--and that will be OK.

Trader Joe's 12 Mushroom Mochi Potsticker Dumplings

I don't hate mushrooms as much as I do onions, but my tolerance for them is sufficiently limited that when they are some dish's main ingredient, I am virtually certain not to like it. I have not tried these. So I turn the entire review over to...


Nina's View 

Be still, my heart, be still.

I will admit out of the gate that these are unlikely to appeal to everyone as much as they do to me. Firstly, they are not at all like most people's idea of a potsticker—a dumpling made of a thin wheat-based pasta-like wrapper filled with vegetables and meat, generally prepared so as to have a crispy side and then steamed.

These are from the Japanese lineage of dumplings (hence: mochi). They are small, pillowy, and slightly sticky. It's a very particular texture, and you need to be prepared for it. You'll either like it or you won't. The filling is a savory mushroom mix that I find extremely tasty.

Unlike more conventional potstickers, you will not want a strongly-flavored dipping sauce (including vinegar, chili, fish sauce, ponzu etc.) with these. A few drops of light soy will do the trick.

I have just one complaint about this product and it's right up there in the title.

"12"

TWELVE??? ARE YOU KIDDING ME???

These are delicate, bite-sized morsels. AND THERE ARE ONLY TWELVE OF THEM. Which is totally nuts, because if you like these, you will want waaaaaaaay more than twelve of them.

So far, I've bought one box of these. I ate six at my first sitting and only iron discipline prevented me from preparing the rest and immediately devouring them. Next time, I doubt I will have that restraint.

Have mercy, TJ's, and give us a bigger quantity at a manageable price.