Trader Joe's Tomato Ketchup with Black Summer Truffle

Trader Joe's Tomato Ketchup with Black Summer Truffle has returned for a second year on shelves. This truffle ketchup is returning while two new truffle products have appeared: truffle aoili and truffle bbq sauce. So yes, there are three truffle condiments available for the season.

Review

There are certain condiments that we tend to be brand loyal to like mayo. But in realize I think a lot of us have a preference for ketchup too. A lot of ketchups these days taste almost syrupy to me. Or at least have a similiar consistency and mouthfeel.

Trader Joe's truffle ketchup is a lot more like a sweetened puree with the pleasant tang of vinegar. If you were hoping to not get the jolt of sweetness here, you are out of luck as sugar is the third ingredient.

Now, this tastes no where near as sweet as a packet of ketchup from say McDonalds. This is almost a bit more complex with the taste of truffle. The taste of truffle is present and can become more pronounced based on what you pair this with. But I felt like this had a good balance of ketchup flavor without the truffle being overwhelming.

This is back and now priced at $3.49. Last year this was $2.99. But overall for a nice niche kitchen condiment it was pretty good and worthy of a return to shelves this year. If you happen to not see this, keep in mind it might not be discontinued permanently. If you look at my list below you'll see that most truffle products at Trader Joe's are in fact seasonal and not gone forever.

The packaging

Trader Joe's truffle ketchup comes in a glass jar and is not squeezable. It does pour fairly easily out the jar.

Pairing suggestions

Black truffle ketchup from Trader Joe's should pair well with the following items:

• bacon
• beef
• cauliflower
• chicken
• cod
• eggs
• potatoes
• mushrooms
• potatoes
• scallops
• shellfish

Again, this list is a starting point for your creativity on how to best enjoy this product. I had mine with french fries, but could see a whole list of possibilities.

Other truffle products

If you can't get enough of Trader Joe's truffle flavor then check out the other reviews for other truffle products and to see when they are usually available:

• Mushroom and Truffle Flavored Pesto (winter)
• Truffle Cream Filled Gnocchi (winter)
• Truffle Oil Duo (winter)
• Black Truffle Cashew Pesto Sauce (winter)
• Oven-Baked Cheese Bites with Black Truffle (summer)
• Black Truffle Alfredo Pasta Sauce (winter)
• Truffle Mousse Pate (year-round, but the product has changed recently)
• Truffle Salt with Black Truffles (winter but hasn't been offered the last few years)
• Truffle Dip (winter)
• Organic White Truffle Potato Chips (year-round)
• Truffle Mac and Cheese (winter)

Overall

This isn't an everyday ketchup. This is a certain occassion ketchup. But it is a well balanced ketchup as well.

Would I buy this again? Yes, I would buy Trader Joe's Tomato Ketchup with Black Summer Truffle again. It was pretty well done and a nice contrast to plain old ketchup.

Did you try it?  Let me know what you think in the comments section!