Trader Joe’s: The Promised Land

There is a magical place at 899 Boylston Street. Sometimes, I’m convinced it’s the eighth wonder of the world. It’s even better than Star Market. It’s called Trader Joe’s.

Trader Joe’s is based in California and has stores in over half of US states. Originally, it only operated in nine states: Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon (if I hear one more person pronounce it “OAR-uh-gone,” I’m going to smother a polar bear) and my home state of Washington.

For those who like to (even occasionally) eat food with ingredients they can actually pronounce, Trader Joe’s is definitely worth the pilgrimage. They pride themselves on interesting and exotic products and try to sell local goods, especially produce and deli items, as often as possible. According to their website, none of their store-label products contain artificial flavors, genetically modified ingredients, MSG or added trans fat.

The atmosphere I associate with Trader Joe’s isn’t as pronounced in Boston as in the Seattle area. The employees here often can’t pronounce the product names. However, this doesn’t really matter if shoppers know what to look for, so here are some highlights of a true Trader Joe’s experience.

First, look at the many exotic products that regular grocery stores don’t sell. It’s definitely not as cheap as Shaw’s, but it’s hard to surpass the variety of cheeses at Trader Joe’s. Looking for some real Manchego for a traditional quesadilla? They should carry it. The dried fruit selection makes for great healthy snacking; choose from baby pineapple, sour cherries, candied ginger, green mangoes or anything else on the giant display. Check out the racks of imported coffees, teas and cocoas. Chocolate lovers will find the Holy Grail in a tin of sipping chocolate, a decadent form of hot cocoa popular in Europe. I also love their Ruby Red Chai tea bags, but I’m still mad they haven’t brought back the mint hot chocolate mix.

When the Micro-Fridge starts to look empty (students pay $240 to rent it, so they might as well put stuff in it), the bottled beverage aisle starts to look really attractive. I’m a sucker for Reed’s Extra Ginger Brew, which is similar to ginger ale, but actually tastes like ginger. There’s a great variety of Italian sodas, sparkling ciders, cane-sugar sodas and juice blends. According to the website, the Back Bay store never sells alcohol, but other Boston-area Trader Joe’s locations do.

Trader Joe’s also has a wide selection of knockoffs of many popular products. My personal favorite: Joe-Joe’s, which are like Oreos but cheaper–compare a 20 oz box for $2.69 to a 17 oz box of Oreos for $3.95. Also, Joe-Joe’s have about half the saturated fat per serving. The same goes for their new Golden Rounds Crackers, which are exactly like Ritz except with almost 30 fewer calories per 11 crackers.

Don’t get me wrong–I, too, am on the infamous “college budget.” It takes the majority of my self-control not to get carried away while I shop. Still, I highly recommend setting aside an hour on a Saturday for a foray into the paradise that is Trader Joe’s. Rainbows and unicorns may or may not abound.

To get to Trader Joe’s, take the Green Line inbound to Hynes Convention Center. Turn left out of the station onto Massachusetts Avenue, and then turn left on Boylston Street. The store is just before the corner of Gloucester Street and Boylston, next to a Copy & Print Shop.

Check out their website http://www.traderjoes.com/ for more information.