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Trader Joe's Sparkling Cranberry Ginger Beverage: This holiday drink is definitely better suited for being a mixer than for consuming on its own because It's both quite sweet and has a sharp acidic cranberry flavor. I think if it were mixed with a little bit of ginger ale, or even diluted with some tonic water, the overall balance would improve. 3.0/5.0

drinks traderjoes sparkling cranberry ginger beverage 3.0
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Koikeya Polinky Corn Soup Flavored Corn Chips: These (crunchy) triangle (!!) snacks have a corn-based flavor similar to Bugles but are covered in a powdered corn potage-like seasoning blend. They mostly taste like MSG. Texturally a cross between Chex Mix and Bugles. Not my favorite corn soup flavored snack but decent. 3.0/5.0

hmart japanese koikeya polinky corn soup flavored chips 3.0
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Lay's Grilled Squid Flavor Potato Chips: Purchased at HMart, these substantially ridged potato chips feature a sweet and savory flavor that's a little smoky and a lot of umami. Akin to a sweet teriyaki glaze. I especially liked the texture of the ridges, whose valleys and mountains are about 3x as deep as Ruffles. Worth a try if you're into seafood flavored snacks. 3.5/5.0

recommended hmart lays grilled squid flavor potato chips 3.5
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Besalu Onion and Gruyere Croissant: In the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle is a small bakery called Besalu. Their sign says "handmade pastries," but they also make savory breads. This onion and gruyere bread, made from croissant dough, has all the flaky, buttery richness of a croissant mixed with the sweetness of caramelized onion and crispiness of baked gruyere. Somehow, it feels like an obvious flavor combination for baked goods, like the bread version of french onion soup, but it isn't one I've ever had before – and one ... (read more) 4.0/5.0

recommended seattle besalu onion gruyere croissant 4.0
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Trader Joe's Ridge Cut Potato Chips with Horseradish and Chives: I really enjoyed this fresh take on sour cream and onion. The horseradish flavor is spicy but palatably so, and the chips have a great texture – not too thick and more crispy than crunchy. Definitely recommended for anyone who likes sour cream and onion but would prefer a tangier, sharper flavor. 3.5/5.0

recommended potatochips traderjoes ridge cut potato chips horseradish chives 3.5
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Trader Joe's Pumpkin Brioche Twist: This TJs brioche was in the same section as the pastries, so I was expecting it to taste more like a dessert. In reality, it's definitely more of a flavored bread than a cake, with the same buttery texture as regular TJs brioche but with a faint yet distinct spiced pumpkin flavor. Reading the label more carefully, I saw that they do accurately describe it as "slightly sweet" and "lightly spicy." Overall, I found it a bit too mild to be satisfyingly festive. 3.0/5.0

traderjoes bread pumpkin brioche twist 3.0