Trader Joe's Archives

Trader Joe’s Yellowfin Tuna in EVOO

I happened to notice this can of Trader Joe's Yellowfin Tuna in EVOO during a recent visit there. Four things caught my eye: yellowfin tuna, solid, EVOO and $2.49. Let's see if it was worth it.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

Nice looking tuna with large solid chunks. The oil is transparent, lacking the color one might expect from extra virgin olive oil. A sip of it is largely neutral, with no real taste of either the oil or the fish packed in it. This SKU was previously designated simply "in olive oil".

A nibble of the tuna is encouraging. A very mild flavor with only a hint of tuna "tang". It seems moist enough, with a firm texture. The chunks are as thick as the can is deep, with very little debris. I thought it could use a touch more salt.

I was able to remove the tuna out over rice in reasonably large intact chunks. The residual oil in the can was only about a tablespoon, so I poured it over the fish. The net weight was 4.5 oz. with the dry weight only a half ounce less.

As I ate several bites, I began to notice a bit of dryness, but in no way a deal-breaker. Yellowfin tuna is my preference, and I thought this one was a good value, overall.

Kicking It Up

I had a new chili crisp I wanted to try, so this seemed like an opportune moment. I had gotten several new ones from the recent Amazon Black Friday sale. Maya Kaimal Chili Crisp is a bit of a different take, featuring Indian spices including mustard seed, curry leaves, turmeric and star anise.

The spice level is low to moderate and the Aleppo and red chili flakes provide a steady undertone of heat. Unlike most chili crisps whose oils are tinged red, this one's is yellow, courtesy of the turmeric, I assume. Lots of sesame seeds and large bits of crispy onion.

Main Takeaways

Solid chunks of tuna with mild flavor
Good net/dry weight ratio
A tad dry, needed salt

I'd have no problem recommending this one, and would buy it again as an all-purpose canned tuna.

Brand: Trader Joe's
Description: Solid Yellowfin Tuna in Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Species: Thunnus albacares
Country of Origin: American Samoa
Source: FAO81, Southwest Pacific
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.5 oz.
Price Range: $2-3

Trader Joe’s Smoked Trout Fillets

DeenLeave a comment

I picked up a can of this Trader Joe's Smoked Trout Fillets up on a recent trip there. It was one of the only tinned fish selections they offer that I had yet to try. Most are relatively inexpensive, starting at only $2. But this one, at $4.49, is at their higher end.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

The fill is about average compared to other open cans of it I've seen. There's immediately a smoky aroma. The fillets themselves aren't really giving off any aroma I consider fishy. A sip of the oil is neutral but subtly infused with the taste of the smoke. I initially though it might portend an overly smoky flavor to the fish, but it was not to be the case. In researching, I noted that this can previously did not say "hardwood". The ingredients, which list now only "trout fillets, canola oil, salt" formerly had the word "smoke" added. The revision is a plus.

Digging in, the meat is flaky. Trying to extract one of the fillets from the can, I find it fused to the other, so I just dumped it all out over rice. The bits you see on top are just trout debris that was floating in the oil. Consistent with the labeling, there is no skin.

Working my way through the bowl, the meat is satisfyingly tender, flaky and mild in flavor. The texture is reminiscent of a better quality white tuna. The smoke is just right, neither overpowering nor fatiguing on the palate. I also thought the salt level was well-balanced with the rest of the flavors.

I was concerned I might be less than impressed due to the fish being farm raised and packed in canola oil, but neither took away from the experience in any discernable way.

I'd buy this again, and have no trouble recommending it as an entrée into the world of tinned smoked trout.

Main Takeaways

Flaky and tender fish
Just right smoke and salt
Easily recommended

Brand: Trader Joe's
Description: Trout fillets, hardwood smoked
Species: Farm-raised trout
Country of Origin: Germany
Source: FAO N/A
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 3.9 oz.
Price Range: $4-5

Trader Joe’s Lightly Smoked Salmon

DeenLeave a comment

I keep seeing this Trader Joe's Lightly Smoked Salmon when I visit the store. It wasn't all that expensive. None of their canned fish is, really. The applewood smoke claim made it sound appealing. For $4, I took a chance.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 3.5/5.

Seems to be quite a bit of headroom filled with oil that could have easily been more fish. According to the can, the oil is about 30% of the contents. It doesn't really look like what one would expect a smoked salmon to look like. (Compare to the Wild Planet.) The oil is neutral, and doesn't taste of the fish, nor smoke, at all. The meat was stuck firmly to the can, and would not lift out in any large pieces. A taste of the fish reveals it is buttery soft and mild in flavor. But no trace of the promised applewood smoke. I also thought it could have used a little more salt.

The can says farm-raised and from Chile. Which explains why it's quite reminiscent of supermarket variety fresh salmon, but just swimming in oil. The can says EVOO, but it had none of the notes one looks for in a good extra virgin. Don't get me wrong, this wasn't bad, I just think the can over-promises and the contents under-delivers.

Main Takeaways

Applewood smoke MIA
Tender, mild fish but needed salt
Not the smoked salmon you're thinking of that costs three times more

Brand: Trader Joe's
Description: Salmon in EVOO, lightly smoked
Species: Atlantic salmon, farmed
Country of Origin: Chile
Source: FAO N/A
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 5 oz.
Price Range: $4

Trader Joe’s Skipjack Tuna Fillets in Olive Oil

DeenLeave a comment

I bought this Trader Joe's Skipjack Tuna Fillets hoping that somehow it might exceed the expectations one might have of regular supermarket variety canned skipjack tuna. The results were uneven.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.5/5.

This is an unusual can configuration for tuna. Normally, a premium tuna would be in a can shaped more like a regular sardine can. Or the even more-premium stuff in one of those oval cans. This can is more akin to the type for herring or kippers, just maybe a little deeper.

I could see the emphasis was on featuring some elongated pieces of fish. But the fancy can and cut of the fillets still couldn't overcome the fact that this was skipjack tuna. It had that, for lack of a better word, tinny taste. I call it that "tuna tang". The meat was a little dry as well. The label says salt added, but I thought it could have used a dash more. And I really didn't have an answer as to what I might add to elevate it beyond that. I added a dash of Salsa Espinaler knowing full well it wasn't going to help, and, as expected, it didn't.

I also found it perplexing that the label says "Product of Tunisia". That's on the Mediterranean, and that doesn't appear to be a fishing area native to skipjack tuna. Nonetheless, the Trader Joe's website confirms it to be the case.

Main Takeaways

Oddly-shaped can for tuna
A little dry and lacked salt
Wishing it was yellowfin

Brand: Trader Joe's
Description: Skipjack Tuna Fillets in Olive Oil
Species: Skipjack
Country of Origin: Tunisia
Source: FAO?
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 6 oz.
Price Range: $4

Trader Joe’s Lightly Smoked Mussels

DeenLeave a comment

Officially described as Trader Joe's Lightly Smoked Mussels in Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I continue to have a bone to pick over "in olive oil". These are clearly not packed in olive oil. There may be some in there, and according to the box, it's the second ingredient on the list. But it should really say "with olive oil". This is not the first can of mussels I've seen make this dubious claim. I drank some of the liquid from the can (okay, so all of the liquid) to assess the flavor. And it was clear I wasn't drinking oil. Anyway, moving on...

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.5/5.

These are nice looking, and the can is packed reasonably full. The taste was of a really good, sweet shellfish and just the right amount of chew. Didn't really get much in the way of smoke, though.

I think I'm going to make a frutti di mare pasta with a tin of these, can juices and all. It should go well with some fresh shrimp I have on hand. At a little over $2 each, I just might use two cans.

Brand: Trader Joe's
Description: Lightly Smoked Mussels
Species: Mussels
Country of Origin: Chile
Source: FAO87, Southeast Pacific
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.02 oz.
Price Range: $2-3

Trader Joe’s Boneless Grilled Sardines

DeenLeave a comment

These sounded good, so I picked up a couple of cans. At only $2, the risk of disappointment was small. Fully described, they are Trader Joe's Wild Caught Boneless Grilled Sardines in Olive Oil. Whew...

Initial impression upon opening the can: Confused.

When I opened the can, I had to look at the lid to make sure I hadn't somehow bought mackerel. It smelled like sardines. And after tasting a bite, I still wasn't sure, The can says "Ingredients: sardine, olive oil, salt, natural flavor." and "Contains sardine." Yeah, but what species? It's not herring.

The can also says "Product of Tunisia", so I'm really at a loss to say what it is other than slices of a fish with some skin left on the back side and grill marks on the top. It wasn't really possible to determine if there were grill marks elsewhere than the top layer of fish, nor if they were real grill marks at all. I'll have to investigate further with the next can.

The fish does have the subtle taste I would associate with having seen some time on a back yard grill, but maybe less "char-grilled" and more "one that needs its grates cleaned". The "slightly smoky" on the lid is apt. The packing oil was neutral enough to not interfere. I think at $2 these warrant a re-buy, even if I don't know what fish this is. Sourced from Tunisia, I can only assume it's from the Mediterranean.

Follow up: A revisit of these 10 days later revealed a troubling inconsistency. The "spent some time on a well-used back yard charcoal grill" flavor was absent, as was any evidence of seasoning, even saltiness. What wasn't absent were bones, albeit very fine and soft ones, but bones nonetheless. These are cheap enough to perhaps overlook the incongruity. Caveat emptor.

Third and final assessment a week later: I think "spineless" is really what these are, as there are indeed some very fine rib bones that remain after processing. The back yard grill taste was there again, but I have to say, overall, I won't be revisiting these after I decide how to dispose of the two cans I have left. The $2 is better spent elsewhere.

Main Takeaways

Mystery fish species
Unappetizing grill flavor
Inconsistent, can to can

Brand: Trader Joe's
Description: Wild Caught Boneless(?) Grilled Sardines in Olive Oil
Species: Unspecified
Country of Origin: Tunisia
Source: FAO37 Mediterranean Sea(?)
Skin/Bones: Yes/No(Maybe?)
Net Wt: 3.88 oz.
Price Range: $2

Trader Joe’s Calamari Pieces in Olive Oil

DeenLeave a comment

Time for something a little different, I picked up a can of these Trader Joe's Calamari Pieces in Olive Oil. I think I was expecting the type of calamari like you'd get as an appetizer at a restaurant. You know, like little rings and tentacles swimming in a bath of some kind of flavorful marinade. This is not that.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 3.5/5.

This is described on the can as being "jumbo squid", so these are just chunks of meat from a much larger mollusk. It doesn't have an aroma I would consider squid-like. It's a bit chewy, like one might expect, and a bit bland. Perhaps that's why squid is more likely to be served marinated, or deep-fried to be dipped in a sauce.

Consequently, I tried pepping it up with a dash of Salsa Espinaler and that seemed to improve things. I'll have to see if there's such a thing as a marinated tinned calamari. This one didn't really make me want to buy more, unless I thought of a good way to jazz it up somehow.

Brand: Trader Joe's
Description: Calamari Pieces in Olive Oil
Species: Jumbo squid
Country of Origin: Spain
Source: FAO27 Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 3.91 oz.
Price Range: $4