I don't often cruise the seasonings aisle at Trader Joe's. While the store has a variety of seasoning blends, when I have a recipe calling for a basic ingredient, I usually can't find it. I was tempted, however, the last time I stopped in for a grocery run and saw the new Sriracha Sprinkle Seasoning Blend.
It was only $2.99, so it didn't seem like a big splurge, after all. While I had a bottle of Huy Fong Sriracha in my cabinet, as the only member of my family who liked or used it (and thus its sad, brownish color and long-past best-by date), a sprinkle seemed like an easy way to add sriracha flavor to any meal without worrying about whether brown was an appropriate color for whatever you're pouring on your food.
@traderjoesandtargetfinds new seasoning at Trader Joe’s #traderjoesfinds #traderjoesmusthaves #traderjoesseasoning #sriracha #traderjoesandtargetfinds #traderjoeslist #traderjoes #traderjoestiktok #traderjoestok ♬ Everywhere (2017 Remaster) - Fleetwood Mac
How Was Trader Joe's Sriracha Sprinkle Seasoning Blend?
Trying the powder, which didn't sprinkle so much as dump out of the container, I was struck by the strong garlic flavor (no surprise, granulated garlic was the first ingredient). But even though sugar, followed by kosher salt, quickly followed on the ingredient list, I was so overpowered by garlic and vinegar flavorings the sweetness I associated with the original was overshadowed. And while the kick is there thanks to cayenne pepper, I'm not sure how much I would have to add to make it really noticeable.
I dumped a pile of it on last night's dinner, and my kids said nothing about it being "too hot," which they will say about anything they don't want to eat anyway, spicy or not. This might be a decent stand-in for garlic powder, but I can't see it becoming a go-to staple. Granted, I was comparing it to Huy Fong, not Trader Joe's Sriracha, which I had always passed over, so this might be comparable.
Would I Use It Again?
While this may just end up mixed into all the other stuff in my spice cabinet, I do have a pretty full container to blow through so I will be experimenting (eggs, you're next). The price may have seemed like a cheap splurge, but my market is selling a 28-ounce container of Huy Fong Sriracha for just $4.99, so maybe it wasn't where I should have spent my money to begin with.
I won't be restocking this and will go back to skipping the Trader Joe's seasoning aisle. Unfortunately, this seemed like another Trader Joe's highly hyped flavor that the internet loves. But, for me at least, it doesn't really deliver.
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