Trader Joe’s Kimbap Review – Microwavable Frozen Goodness!
I get so excited when Trader Joe’s release new items, especially items of stuff I already like. My bestie saw Trader Joe’s kimbap at her local TJ’s, so I went to mine, but they didn’t have them. I went back the next day, and there they were!
What is Kimbap?
Rice seasoned with sesame oil plus some ingredients (usually veggies and meat, or just veggies) wrapped in seaweed. It looks like those futomaki rolls, but not meant to be crispy due to the sesame oil seasoning through the rice and seaweed.
TJ’s Kimbap Compared to Kimbap from Restaurants
There are so many variations! Most Kimbap I’ve tried from restaurants or Korean markets are at room temperature, with the seaweed being a bit soggy. The majority of them had some kind of meat, whether it’s a bulgogi/seasoned beef, ground beef, or cooked/canned tuna, plus egg and veggies (pickled radish, spinach, etc), sesame seeds, etc. The Trader Joe’s kimbap has no meat – it’s all veggies plus fried tofu and braised burdock.
Cooking Instructions
TJs has their kimbap in their frozen section, and the directions are to cut a corner of the packaging (do not rip the whole thing out of it!), microwave it for a couple minutes, let it cool for another minute, and take out the kimbap and enjoy. Very convenient!
Warm Kimbap?
I tried a piece right away, and tbh, it was kind of bland, but not in a bad way. The rice had this subtle seasoning to it which was a lot better than plain rice. I haven’t had warm Kimbap before, but these cooled down quickly so I enjoyed the rest more so within room temperature.
Dipping Sauces?
I usually enjoy kimbap on its own as the good ones usually have enough flavor within. These do not come with a sauce, but TJs has many sauces to choose from and to buy separately, so these kimbap can work well with some spicy mayo or whatever sauce you’d like – soy sauce, etc.
Taste and Texture
I am super amazed that the rice came out rather soft especially since it’s been frozen and heated in the microwave. The taste was a bit subtle in my opinion, but not all pieces tasted the same as some pieces had more flavor than others. Ah, the inconsistency! The texture was good – the rice, spinach, carrots, etc… kind of like a mushy good if that makes sense. If you want the crispiness, you can heat these up on a pan after microwaving them to give them a bit more texture. I didn’t do so cause I was lazy.
Worth It?
Well, I heard great things about these so I bought 3 of them. They will be put to good use. Kimbap at restaurants are a bit more expensive than they need to be (typically $10 or $15+), so $3.99 for these is not bad at all.
