Growing up in Louisiana in the ‘90s, there was only one Korean grocery store in town, which my family drove to every few weeks to pick up staples like gochujang and kimchi.
This was a different time: before people ate K-BBQ, used K-Beauty products and sang along to K-Pop songs. As a kid, I couldn’t have imagined that one day, groups like BTS would appear on national TV and major stores like Costco and Trader Joe's would carry Korean food in their aisles.
My mom, who is an avid home cook, marvels at this, and on a recent trip to Trader Joe’s together, we decided to pick up a few of their most popular Korean offerings. All of the items we tested were imported directly from the motherland, so we had high expectations going in.
1. Jeju Matcha Latte
OK, clearly this isn’t a food, but as a matcha fan and a caffeine fiend, I had to try it out. Also, the packaging states that the matcha hails from Jeju Island, which is known for producing quali-tea leaves. The instructions say to add 8 ounces of hot water and stir, so I did exactly that, and it yielded a sufficiently creamy latte.
I was happy to find that it wasn’t too sweet, as is often the case with pre-packaged drinks, and my mom noted that it “smelled strongly of green tea,” which is her way of complimenting it. Though the latte was tasty, I thought it lacked body, so I added less water the second time I tried it; this made it a tad better. Next time, I’m going to swap in oat milk for water to make it even creamier.
The verdict: At $4.99 a box for 10 packets, it’s much more economical than buying a matcha latte at a cafe. Was it the best matcha I've had? No, but it's certainly better than the average drink, so I shall keep a packet in my purse (along with my coffee sticks) for an emergency caffeine fix.
2. Japchae
Japchae is a popular side dish that’s served at pretty much every communal celebration you can think of — from birthdays to graduation parties to church gatherings and holiday dinners. As such, I have eaten a lot of japchae throughout my life, and was especially excited to try TJ’s version.
The cooking instructions were simple: Heat in the microwave for three minutes, stir, and heat for an additional two minutes. Since I was sharing with my mom, I decided to transfer the glass noodles to a bowl so it was more presentable.
At first bite, I thought the texture of the noodles was nice and chewy. My mom agreed, saying they were cooked well. Other than that, I thought the japchae tasted a bit bland. Not bad, just one note.
My mom thought the japchae was a touch too sweet, and needed more soy sauce to balance out the flavors. This, I realized, was what the dish was lacking. I couldn’t articulate exactly what was missing until she pointed it out. She also suggested adding in some bulgogi and more vegetables like spinach to round things out. That said, given how low the cost is per box ($3.79), she says the noodle-to-filling ratio is understandable.
The verdict: Good value as-is, but a few at-home additions—a splash of soy sauce, extra beef, and a handful of vegetables—can take it up a notch.
3. Jumeokbap
Jumeokbap directly translates to “fist rice,” and that’s exactly what it is: a fistful of rice. It’s a popular afterschool snack for kiddos and grown adults who need a quick carb fix at odd hours (me). I loved that TJ’s jumeokbap came individually packaged within the larger bag, so you can heat them up one at a time, rather than cooking and eating all of them in one sitting. #portioncontrol
The little parcels of rice reminded me of the convenience store onigiri and triangle kimbap I’d pick up while living in Seoul, which made me feel nostalgic.
The verdict: The rice was perfectly fluffy, and each triangular parcel was a satisfying portion size. I’d pop one of these in the microwave to grab and go when I’m tired or in a rush to eat something small before dance class. Otherwise, I’d eat it with a side of protein and veg for a complete meal.
4. Kimbap
Not to brag, but I was interviewed for a kimbap documentary that was picked up by Netflix last year. Sorry, that was absolutely a brag, but I wanted to express how seriously I take kimbap.
It’s my favorite and most frequently eaten Korean dish, so I have many points of reference. TJ’s kimbap was solidly mid, and I don’t mean that in a bad way. In fact, my scale might be skewed unreasonably high because of how many hundreds of rolls I’ve eaten throughout my life — from Michelin-starred restaurants to the best mom and pop shops in Korea. My five or six might be a seven or eight for someone who hasn’t tried kimbap before, which is something my friend brought up after trying a roll with me.
As with the jumeokbap, the rice was delightfully fluffy, though the seaweed was a little soft for my liking. This could be remedied by panfrying the roll, rather than microwaving it though. (Bonus tip: To crisp or re-crisp your kimbap, dip it in whisked egg and panfry it over medium heat until the surface is golden brown; this revives limp rolls, while keeping the rice soft and the outside crisp.)
The verdict: The roll packed enough flavor that I’d keep one or two in my freezer as a standby snack. Also, at $3.99 a pop, the price is "착해" or kind, as the Koreans say.
5. Beefless Bulgogi
I really didn’t know what to expect from this dish, and boy was I surprised by it — as were my friends, whom I enlisted to test the last few items with me.
For starters, the faux meat strips had a smokiness to them, which came across a bit strong for my liking. The texture was more chewy than tender, and this was polarizing to my test group. Two of us didn’t mind it that much, while the other two didn’t like it at all. “It’s too tough and feels strange to chew,” said one, before quickly gulping her piece down with a glug of wine.
The verdict: If you’re a vegetarian looking for an alternative protein source, maybe give the beefless bulgogi a whirl. But if you’re only going to try one or two Korean dishes from Trader Joe’s, I’d say skip this, as it’s not a very accurate representation of the cuisine.
6. Bulgogi Beef Fried Rice With Kimchi
TJ's Bulgogi Beef Fried Rice was tasty. It’s a slightly watered down version of what my mom makes, but it’s still very good. The main difference is that my mom would use a more fermented kimchi in hers, which adds some kick and funk to the overall flavor, but I could see how that might not be as palatable to a wider demographic.
Of all the items I tried, this was my second favorite — nearly tied with the kimbap. It was easy to assemble, satisfying to eat, and well-priced, especially considering how generously portioned the bag was.
The verdict: My friends and I all liked this one and agreed that we’d buy it again. Next time, I’ll add a fried egg, a dash of sesame oil, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds on top to boost the flavor and make it taste a bit closer to my mom’s. I’d also add a few more scraps of kimchi.
On the whole, I think the TJ’s team did a great job with curating their Korean products. The pricing for everything is more than fair and I appreciate the range of dishes offered.
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