The 2 Best New Items To Buy at Trader Joe’s Right Now, According to a Food Editor

August is a weird month. It’s a month of transition from summer to fall, even though here in Southern California we don’t solidly hit fall until October. Kids are going back to school, and everyone’s eating fresh corn and pumpkin at the same time. It’s wild!

This transition is evident when you visit the grocery store. Most of the fall products aren’t appearing just yet (they start to trickle in at the end of the month), but new products are less and less summery. Even though it’s an awkward time (I can think of nothing more awkward than the first day of school), Trader Joe’s still put out some quality items.

Of the many products I tried this month, here are two items that I’ll be buying on repeat (at least, for as long as they’re available!):

I cannot recommend this cheese enough. Point Reyes is a quality cheese company located in California, and is known for their exemplary blue cheese and toma cheese. The latter is a cow’s milk, semi-hard variety that’s super versatile and takes nicely to flavorings. 

The “rashi” is TomaRashi refers to the traditional Japanese seasoning blend, shichimi togarashi. The mixture of dried chiles, orange peel, dried seaweed, and more is incredibly delicious in the cheese, giving it a nice (but not too strong) kick. I’ve enjoyed this cheese with crackers, on its own, and on veggie sandwiches. It’s also a great deal for a very high-quality cheese. The site says “limited time,” so go snatch it up!

At long last, Trader Joe’s has released a spicy take on their squiggly noodles. I love the original noodles, but I usually skip the sauce packet or add things to doctor it up. The new spicy noodles have two seasoning packets, which is obviously better than one. The sauce is certainly spicier, and there’s the added bonus of creaminess from sesame paste.

This is an upgrade in my book. Sometimes I’ll make these noodles and simply toss them with some raw sliced cucumber or leftover veggies and the sauce and call it lunch. No regrets!

Honorable Mentions 

My husband is really enjoying TJ’s new Coffee Mochi ($4.99), as he loves all things coffee-flavored. Ironically, he is not a coffee drinker. Go figure! Get these while you can since they are a limited product.

I’m enjoying the new Crunchy Chili Onion Sprinkle Seasoning Blend ($1.99), a solid addition to Trader Joe’s line-up of Crunchy Chili Onion products. It’s not quite as tasty as the classic chili crunch, but it’s a nice option if you just want a few dashes without the additional oil.