The pros: Â Trader Joe's Gochujang Almonds are delicious as long as you like some heat and garlic.
The cons:Â You might need a breath mint after eating a handful of these. At least that is what my husband suggested.
The verdict: Â Plain almonds. Chili Lime almonds. They all seem so basic. Not these almonds. These are anything but basic. I wish I could get this seasoning blend and put it on potato chips. It would totally win. It's flavorful, spicy, and umami.
I bought this bag on a whim. I've had the Chili Lime Almonds almost a month now. I just haven't gotten a chance to sit and write the review. These, however, I felt compelled to get on the computer and write everything down. If you have never heard of Gochujang, then the Wikipedia article might not make it sound too appetizing as they describe it as "a savory, sweet, and spicy fermented condiment made from...red chili powder, glutinous rice,...fermented soybean powder, barley malt powder, and salt." Had I read that description first, I wouldn't have picked it up. However, this is totally worth picking up if you have an appreciation for Asian flavors for feel like stepping outside your comfort zone.
Here is my interpretation of those flavors: I get a subtle sweetness, followed by a bit of heat. The heat was mild and it won't slow you down from eating these. Then I get this wonderful soy flavor to round out the profile here. And yes, there is some garlic present. There was enough that my husband was kind enough to give me a kiss and gently said to me, "What did you just eat that is so garlicy?" He promptly suggested a breath mint before I went to the gym. This is a new flavor for Trader Joe's. I just wished they sold this seasoning blend so I can put it on everything the way I put everything but the bagel on everything. This would make an amazing flavor of potato chips too, so maybe they can work on that.
For $4.99 for a 12 ounce bag. It's a new flavor that I hope will be sticking around. It's well done and I've struggled to not eat the whole bag over the last few days. If you don't mind a bit of heat and like Asian flavor profiles, then yes, this is worth getting. Once my bag is finished, I'm definitely buying this again.
Here is the visual run down of what you get if you buy this product:
The bag of Trader Joe's Gochujang Almonds:
The nutritional information:
The ingredients:
Out of the package you get:
Would I buy this again? Yes. Trader Joe's Gochujang Almonds are not going on the weekly list, but if I run out I would not hesitate to get another one.
Want to see more items I've reviewed from Trader Joe's? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe’s for a searchable list.
Did you try it? Let me know what you think in the comments section!
I was just at TJ's this afternoon, saw the Gochujang Almonds, thought about getting them, but we have some nuts in the pantry for snacking already.
I think I'll go back 😀
*just a side note Brenda - your "like button" isn't working o_O
Thanks for the heads up. Ill have to look into it!
Like you I really enjoyed these almonds. The last few times I was at Trader Joes they were out of stock. So I asked them when they would be back. They said due to lack of interest they were not bringing them back!!!!
I did find a couple of bags on Amazon (Trader Joes brand) but they wanted almost $14.00 per bag, that's 3 times what Trader Joes was charging. I don't find them anywhere else on the internet so I guess that is that.
Hey Marion! Oh no!!!! That's a bummer. I haven't bought them in a while. Ouch, I know Amazon is great, but unfortunately you have to deal with 3rd party sellers on those. Thanks for letting me know that they're going to be discontinued. I'll keep that in mind the next time I go. Thanks so much for stopping by!