Can somebody explain to me what prompted this sudden pickle craze in America? Was it Snooki? I’m going to go ahead and assume it was Snooki. Our fascination with pickles has gotten out of hand. Pickles, which are cucumbers that we decided to sour in vinegar, are an odd thing to be obsessed with. Our propensity to serve pickles with everything seems to confuse the hell out of visiting foreigners (see #12), and possibly with good reason. Don’t get me wrong; I love a good pickle with a New York-style deli sandwich. I’m just not convinced I’m ready for everything to taste like pickles. When I have to review Hostess Limited Edition Pickle Cupcakes, I’m shutting this blog down. Thanks a lot, Snooki.
Trader Joe’s Popcorn in a Pickle is the latest pickle product to satisfy our weird obsession. This pickle-flavored popcorn was released in August 2015 and peaked the interest of many. It’s impossible to miss this product when Trader Joe’s does carry it. The bag is distinctly pickle-colored and features a galavanting pickle-human hybrid that will play the lead role in your next nightmare.
“All the world is mine, you see.”
Opening the bag, you get a strong whiff of jarred pickles. Not over the top, but enough to make you say “Oh….” and have some doubts about whether or not you’re ready for this. The popcorn, however, is standard white popcorn with no visible seasoning on it. Grabbing the popcorn, it leaves no dusting on your fingertips like most white cheddar or seasoned popcorns do. I was expecting to see and feel some fresh green dill seasoning on here, but this wasn’t the case. Is this popcorn REALLY going to taste like pickles?
Hahaha. Hey guys, do you like pickles? Go buy Trader Joe’s Popcorn in a Pickle. Despite not looking like it was going to deliver a big pickle flavor, it sure as hell does. What kind of sorcery did they use to make this taste exactly like pickles? The ingredient list reveals Trader Joe’s ace in the hole: dill oil. This popcorn causes a sensory overload, but not one that turns you off. When you taste pickles, you’re used to a wet & crispy texture. What you get here is a dry and chewy texture. You taste the vinegar, but without the acidity.
Trader Joe’s Popcorn in a Pickle is sour like a pickle, but salty like normal popcorn. It’s bursting with fresh dill flavor that makes this a truly unique flavor combination. My biggest criticism would be the amount of oil used to achieve this great flavor. Two cups has 10g of fat, and you start to “feel” more of that oil both in taste and touch after working through several handfuls. Nevertheless, this is stupidly addicting if you enjoy pickles. If you hate pickles, avoid this. Even if you don’t like the product , you will likely be impressed by what Trader Joe’s has achieved with this Popcorn in a Pickle.
Magically Dill-icious Rating: 9.5 out of 10
Counts as One Serving of Vegetables Rating: 1.5 out of 10
Overall Rating: 8 out of 10
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