The pros: Trader Joe's Wasabi Mayonnaise is perfect for those who love Japanese inspired flavors.
The cons: This might not be for everyone. Spice junkies might not think this brings enough heat.
The verdict: There are few foods as divisive as coffee, chocolate, soda, and mayonnaise. Few foods can break out a discussion the way those items seem to. To be fair, people's taste buds run a huge range on those food items. Back in the 80's it was the Cola wars. Coffee and chocolate raise equally strong emotions as well.
Oh but mayo. Accept no substitutions, but there will be massive disagreements over mayo. I grew up in a Hellman's house. We used to joke around that my father would have some sandwich with his mayo. My cousins were all Miracle Whip people. And then there are the "no mayo under any circumstances people" like my husband. He won't go near the stuff no matter how much I try to disguise it or get him to try it. More for me :).
Once you get into the realm of flavored mayos then the differences between them starts to vanish a the flavoring takes over. That is very much the case here. Here the flavor is very much wasabi. It has heat, but nothing that will get your sinuses going. It's more the flavor and the warmth. You probably could mix wasabi paste into your favorite mayo and get a similar result.
Now, when I say heat, I'm not talking about pure wasabi heat either. I remember the first time I had wasabi. It was also the first time I had sushi. I was a young teenager at the time. We had gotten hungry after one of my friend's wrestling matches. We decided to go to a local restaurant and have sushi. I had never experienced sushi. So naturally I got a California roll. A California rolls is basically training wheels for trying other forms of sushi. So, I asked my good friends what the green stuff was. They kindly told me guacamole. So naturally I put the whole thing in my mouth.
The story has a mostly happy ending. I'm still friends with those people. That wasabi burn was quite intense. Fortunately, the wasabi here is more for flavor and lends a subtle heat. For $3.29 this product is best suited for those who love a more Japanese flare and want something that goes beyond regular mayo. As for me, I think it is worth a try. It will probably become my go to product. But I'll still keep the Hellman's around.
Here is the visual run down of what you get if you buy this product:
The jar of Trader Joe's Wasabi Mayonnaise:
The nutritional information and the ingredients:
How Trader Joe's describes this product:
Out of the package you get:
What can you do with this? Well, with a few simple ingredients, I made what I call a Spicy California Crab Avocado Boat. It's a California roll without the sushi rice. Sushi rice takes some time to master. I once took a sushi making class. The most valuable thing I learned in that class was to order sushi for now on.
Now, at least this recipe will help me get my fix. It is inspired by a SkinnyTaste recipe. It more than filled the skins of the halves of an avocado with a bit left for tasting in the bowl. Or just eat it out of the bowl. Been there done that. I've eaten this for dinner as one large serving, but this could be shared between two people. It's not diet, but it is all the classic flavors: wasabi, crab, cucumber, and avocado. Yum.
Here is what it looked like up close:
Spicy California Crab Avocado Boats
Ingredients
- 1 Avocado I used Trader Joe's Teeny Tiny Avocado
- 4 ounces crab meat I used 1 package of Trader Joe Wild Caught Crab Meat defrosted
- 2 tablespoon Trader Joe's Wasabi Mayo Regular mayo with some wasabi powder could work here too
- 1 Seedless, peeled, and diced Persian Cucumber. I used a Trader Joe's Persian Cucumber
- Trader Joe's Everything But the Bagel Seasoning or sesame seeds if you don't have. This is to taste as well.
- soy sauce to taste
Instructions
- Take ripe avocado, cut in half and remove the pit. Remove the edible portion and cut into small cubes. Add to a mixing bowl. Reserve avocado skin if you are planning using it as a serving vessel.
- In a mixing bowl fold together avocado, crab meat, mayo, and cucumber. You are not looking to crush the delicate items like the crab or avocado cubes.
- Return mixture to the skins of the avocado.
- Top with Everything but the Bagel seasoning to taste (no need to really measure).
- If desired, drizzle a bit of soy sauce to compliment the flavors here. If it's not hot enough for you, then reach for some sriracha for some added heat and flavor.
Notes
DID YOU MAKE THIS? TAG @BECOMEBETTY ON INSTAGRAM AND
HASHTAG IT #BECOMEBETTY
Would I buy this again? Yes, I would buy Trader Joe's Wasabi Mayonnaise again. I'm a fan of most Japanese flavors and this was right up my alley.
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!
Dag says
I love mayonnaise and I love wasabi. I am the proverbial spice junkie. I'm surprised that I haven't purchased this in the past even though I don't normally buy regular full fat mayonnaise. I usually purchase Best Foods Light Mayo. The TJ's Wasabi Mayo may be a good mix in for my light mayo to add a little umph to it. And your avocado crab recipe looks great!
becomebetty says
Hey Dag! This has been something that can be there one day and disappear the next. It was even off the shelves for some time. If you do happen to pick it up, I'd love to hear what you think about it as a spice junkie. It won't clear your sinuses. Thanks for the compliment. I enjoyed making that all week.
Nancy Pouliquen says
Unfortunately, Trader Joe's has discontinued their Wasabi Mayonnaise! 😫
becomebetty says
Hey Nancy! I know. Such a bummer. I might start replicating some discontinued items and posting the recipes. So stay tuned!