The pros: Â Trader Joe's Pork Shu Mai is a tasty freezer item.
The cons:Â Trader Joe's Chicken Shu Mai has a packet of sauce, but for these you'll have to supply your own dipping sauce.
The verdict: Â If you've ever been to an Asian restaurant, then you know that in the appetizer section of the menu is a little steamed dumpling called shu mai. At my local Japanese restaurant, these go for about $5 for one appetizer which usually consists of about six shu mai.
For $2.99 you are getting nine dumplings which can be prepared in the microwave. Now, other varieties of dumplings from Trader Joe's did not fare well in the microwave, specifically Trader Joe's Seafood Sriracha Potstickers there was a major difference in how the wrapper handled each preparation. Potstickers really need a crispy side. Shu Mai are meant to be steamed and have a tender outside.
These shu mai seem larger than my local restaurants. They had a thin noodle holding them together followed by a generous amount of filling. The filling doesn't have a ton of texture, but it has flavor. Beyond the pork flavor, there are hints of green onion, oyster, and spices that make this very flavorful eaten plain. However, I almost never eat these plain. They always seem to be served with a dipping sauce. For these, I had soy sauce with a few drops of rice wine vinegar.
Overall, I'd buy this again. They are a fraction of the cost of the ones I order out, they were ready in about 3 minutes and were very flavorful. They are worth picking up. If you aren't going to provide your own dipping sauce, then you can reach for Trader Joe's Chicken Shu Mai which have a packet of sauce waiting for you.
Here is the visual run down of what you get if you buy this product:
The box of Trader Joe's Pork Shu Mai:
The nutritional information and the ingredients:
How to prepare:
Out of the package you get:
After being cooked you get:
Would I buy this again? Yes. For those nights where I feel broke or just don't want to leave the house, then these are a perfectly good substitute for the ones I order out.
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!
nonnyjo says
Hi- Have been meaning to write to you for awhile to thank you for all the work you do to give us great reviews of TJ products. As a result, I have tried (and avoided) products that I was unaware of. Do use the seasoned (sweet) rice vinegar in the dipping sauce? Thanks again. Joni
becomebetty says
Hey Joni! Thanks for stopping by. For this I did use a rice vinegar, but it did not say sweetened. I think you should use whatever you have available. I know I enjoyed the flavor of the sauce that was included in the chicken shu mai so I was attempting to mimic that. Thanks for commenting!
judilyn says
Another item to put on my Trader Joe's list. I don't mind paying for this sort of item that requires such a lot of hand work otherwise. Am thinking "apricot dipping sauce". Would that go with these little darlings?
Virtual hugs,
Judie
becomebetty says
Hey Judie! I think you could absolutely do a sweet and savory combination here. Or you could serve them with a variety of dipping sauces to see which you like best. As always, thanks so much for stopping by!
Christine says
I buy these to keep in the freezer for a quick lunch. I always make a quick dipping sauce mixing soy sauce and TJ's sweet Asian chili sauce. 🙂
Maria says
I always have these in my freezer...do not like the chicken. Why put them in the microwave when you can steam them for 11 minutes. So much better. I eat them with Sambal.