Trader Joe's Italian Confetti Almonds

I admit I complain a lot about certain Trader Joe's foods being too hard. It seems like other TJ's customers must have adamantium jaws, because I don't hear a lot of other folks making that same observation. Products like English Toffee, Mango Sticky Rice Crisps, and more than one of their sweet cracker "crisps" come to mind. When I eat those delicious yet overly rigid products, I feel like Trader Joe's has made some kind of sinister deal with the American Dental Association to help them drum up demand for extra crowns and fillings.

These almonds feel like they're coated in glass. Fortunately, it's a delicate sugary glass that melts in your mouth if you suck on it long enough. The candy is an interesting, sweet, vanilla-esque flavor. The almonds are flat and long, apparently by virtue of their status as Avola almonds, a species that's indigenous to Sicily, Italy. "Confetti almonds" are apparently a popular favor given out at Italian weddings.

Sonia loves the candy coating even though she, too, agrees that it's excessively hard. We both agree the flavor of the almonds themselves is very good. I think I'd have preferred to try the Avola almonds without the candy since I'm not familiar with them. The shell is okay in my book, but it detracts from the almonds in both taste and texture in the end. And just in case you're wondering, this product was still many months before its best by date when we consumed it.

$4.49 for the 6 oz resealable bag. Imported from Italy. Kosher. Sonia will give Trader Joe's Italian Confetti Almonds 7.5 out of 10 stars because she loves the flavor. I think the taste is nice, but it's not enough to make me ever want to buy these again in their current format. Unfortunately, comparable bags of plain Avola almonds will run you upwards of twelve bucks. Guess I'll wait until TJ's offers Avolas without the armor. Five out of ten stars from me.

Sonia's score: 7.5 out of 10.

Nathan's score: 5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Hoisin Sauce

Those of you who've been following us for a long time know that our whole schtick is basically that we're "foodie-hacks." We're not culinary experts. We're just normal folks who enjoy food and are generally curious and adventurous. I honestly think we're the type of customers Trader Joe's is perfect for. It's not optimized for health nuts or highfalutin highbrow food snobs as some may think at first. It's for people who see food as art and want to try novel stuff for reasonable prices. All that to say, in all likelihood, you the reader know more about any given item than I do. I'm just giving you the honest opinion of one man and one woman. No more, no less.

In that same vein, while I've heard of "hoisin sauce" before, I couldn't tell you much about it other than it's Asian and they sometimes put it in stir-fry. Sonia has made a few stir-fry dishes with other brands and I have to say I've enjoyed Trader Joe's the most so far.

It seems sweeter and also more flavorful than the other hoisin sauces that she's used. It pours thick and dark, and it coats everything it touches. It tastes like brown sugar, soy sauce, and sesame sauce all mixed together, with a hint of vinegar in the background. It went beautifully with the ground turkey, broccoli, onion, and noodle dish she whipped up recently. We're excited to try it with other stuff very soon.

A quick Google search will reveal that hoisin sauce is typically a Chinese ingredient used in Cantonese cooking, while this Trader Joe's product hails from Thailand. It's $1.99 for just over 10 oz. Vegan. We like it. We would buy it again. Eight out of ten stars from me for Trader Joe's Hoisin Sauce. Sonia will go with nine out of ten.

Bottom line: 8.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Mini Quiche Duo

Couldn't tell you how long Trader Joe's Mini Quiche Duo has been around. It's not the type of product we'd have pounced on immediately after hearing about it or seeing it in the freezer at TJ's. Full disclosure: I'm not a big fan of pork bacon or mushrooms. Like me, Sonia had a slight reaction to mushrooms in the past, but she's outgrown it and is now starting to become fond of the spore-bearing fungi.

Nevertheless, neither of these appetizers really wowed us. Predictably, Sonia gravitated towards the mushroom tarts while I just slightly favored the bacon ones—but definitely not because of the bacon—but rather because of the sweet onions. Still, both specimens would have benefited from more of the onions, Swiss cheese, and egg elements.

The part we liked the best was the bready, buttery, flaky crust that comes out so perfectly when heated in the air fryer. It's pretty standard for these Trader Joe's tart-style appetizers. There are numerous varieties, and they're all convenient and fun to try. 

I think our favorite might still be Trader Joe's Feta Cheese & Caramelized Onion Pastry Bites, which have been available at the store since 2011.

In short, we're cheese and egg people. Mushroom and bacon people, have at it. Let us know what you think.

$4.79 in the frozen section. Product of Canada. Probably would not buy again. Sonia and I will throw out six out of ten stars each for Trader Joe's Mini Quiche Duo.

Bottom line: 6 out of 10.