“Anyone who hasn’t tried Trader Joe’s kimbap yet?” (X User)
Korean kimbap has captivated American tastes. Trader Joe’s, the large grocery chain, launched a new Korean-style kimbap product this month, and it has been gaining popularity thanks to the Hallyu craze and vegetarian culture. On social media such as TikTok and X, kimbap reviews have been flooding in, with many people saying they want to buy it again due to its low price and flavor that exceeds their expectations.
This month, the mart introduced a Korean-style vegetable kimbap with tofu as a frozen food product. Priced at US$3.99 (approximately \5,400), it is offered as a frozen food item to minimize preservatives ($1=\1338). The ingredients include seaweed, seasoned rice, fried tofu (yubu), burdock root, carrot, pickled radish, and spinach.
An overseas media outlet described this kimbap as “Trader Joe’s kimbap, made in Korea, is a vegetable-focused dish, containing various sautéed vegetables, crisp root vegetables, crunchy pickles, and braised tofu,” adding that “everything is neatly wrapped in rice and seaweed, cut into bite-sized round pieces.”
When the mart officially introduced this vegetable kimbap on their Instagram, netizens expressed their anticipation through comments. Due to the use of vegetable-focused ingredients, there was particularly high anticipation from those following a gluten-free diet and vegetarians. They commented, “Kimbap made with natural ingredients seems much healthier than shelf-stable products with preservatives,” “Welcoming vegan products,” “I want to try it quickly,” “I tried it yesterday, and it was really delicious,” and more.
Among Trader Joe’s new products this month, this frozen kimbap has garnered attention and thus, related reviews can be easily found on platforms like TikTok. Users shared their experiences of thawing the frozen kimbap in the microwave for about 2 minutes and tasting it with side dishes like kimchi. The kimbap’s ingredients were introduced, highlighting its focus on vegetable-based healthy eating.
A Reddit user who posted a kimbap review mentioned, “Currently, kimbap in Korean grocery stores generally costs around $7 to $12, so $3.99 is a reasonable price. I’m considering repurchasing it,” adding, “I liked that it can be stored in the freezer, and if kept at room temperature, it should be consumed within two days.”
In terms of taste, one review mentioned, “It has a taste very close to authentic kimbap. However, the flavor of the tofu overwhelms the taste of all the other ingredients. Those who are not accustomed to this taste might find it very strong, sweet, and even a bit pungent.” After reading this review, netizens commented, “I plan to buy at least 10 of these to keep in the freezer” and “I’ve been waiting for this review. Now I need to go buy some kimbap.”
Netizens also shared their own ways to enjoy this kimbap. Some suggested thawing it at room temperature without using a microwave, while others advised dipping it in gochujang (red pepper paste), mayonnaise, or soy sauce with wasabi. Adding burdock root or enjoying it with tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), kimchi, or perilla leaves were also recommended for enhancing the flavor. A unique suggestion was to heat it up in an air fryer for a different experience.
