Trader Joe's Parsley Crackers

This isn't the biggest box of crackers in the universe, to be sure, but at five plus ounces it ain't the smallest either. It's imported all the way from Italy, as a good many of Trader Joe's products are. I'm just saying, have you seen the price of a box of crackers lately? And I'm not talking fancy, top-of-the-line crackers for rich people that you'd find on a charcuterie board at the Met Gala or a rare vintage wine auction. I'm talking regular old water crackers or butter crackers.

They're easily more than double the price of these Italian imports. At $1.49, these parsley crackers are, if nothing else, a great bargain. One side is mostly dark green, infused with a significant amount of parsley flavor. I might even dare say they taste more like parsley than actual parsley tastes like parsley. That is to say, parsley by itself doesn't exactly pack a wallop in the flavor department. And while these crackers aren't a stellar snack just in and of themselves by my estimation, they do have a pleasant, salty, savory, herbaceous essence. I guess they taste as much or more like garlic as they do parsley, but that's just fine by me.

They go great with feta cheese. Olives, artichoke, egg, tuna, or any kind of canned fish really would work well with these crackers. Most cheeses would go great with them. Soups? I can't really think of a soup I wouldn't try these with.

There's a dense, crisp breadiness to these snacks. Texture-wise, they kind of remind me of certain pita crackers I've had. Along those lines, I think they'd go great with hummus or any other Middle Eastern type condiment.

The best crackers we've sampled from Trader Joe's in a great while, or maybe ever, were the Green Olive Flats, also imported from Italy. Those were just about double the price of these inexpensive morsels. I think I still prefer the texture and flavor of those olive flats, but these parsley crackers are quite decent, too.

If you're looking for something a little different for your next get-together or party, keep these in mind. Sonia and I would both buy them again. They're versatile, crunchy, and very inexpensive. Buck and a half for the 5.28 oz box. Product of Italy. Sonia will throw out eight and a half stars. I'll go with seven and a half out of ten.

Bottom line: 8 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Solid Light Yellowfin Tuna

I guess tuna canned in oil has more flavor and moisture than tuna canned in water, but it also has more calories and fat. It's more messy too, and when you eat as much tuna as we do, that's at least a minor consideration.

That said, if I'm going to buy tuna in oil, I prefer that it be olive oil. It's funny how every brand that packs their tuna in olive oil proudly specifies that it's "canned in olive oil" right on the packaging and in their advertising, while companies that use other oils like sunflower seed or soybean never specify what type of oil it is, but say simply, "packed in oil."

Anyhoo, this product is canned in the good old USA...with fish caught by pole and line in good old Indonesia. An interesting business model to say the least, but who am I to question Big Joe? International tuna tastes just as good as domestic tuna.

And it's your typical yellowfin here, flaunting a softer texture than albacore tuna and a slightly more pungent flavor. Fun fact: yellowfin is the only species of tuna that you'll regularly find as sushi, steaks, and canned. It's considered more versatile than its cheaper cousin skipjack but far more affordable than its fancy family member bluefin.

Would I buy Trader Joe's Solid Light Yellowfin Tuna in Olive Oil again? Sure. But I'd probably gravitate towards their Albacore Tuna by virtue of its cheaper price tag and packed-in-water status on the majority of my Trader Joe's runs.

$2.49 for the 5 oz can. Kosher. Dolphin safe. Found with the other tinned fish products. I give Trader Joe's Yellowfin Tuna seven out of ten stars. Sonia will go with seven and a half.

Bottom line: 7.25 out of 10.