Noodle Journey Episode 126: Trader Joe’s Mee Krob Snackers

Today I’m trying Trader Joe’s Mee Krob Snackers, a crispy noodle snack that takes its inspiration from the Thai dish mee krob for its sweet-and-sour profile. I do not get to Trader Joe’s often, so when I spotted these, I immediately grabbed a bag to see how well a cluster of crispy noodles works as a snack.

I paid $2.99 for a 3-ounce bag. The serving size is 1 ounce, so there are 3 servings per bag. Per serving, we’ve got 125mg sodium, 9g fat, and 5g sugar. Ingredients include rice noodles, shallots, cashews, sugar, garlic, tomato paste, tamarind paste, dried chili sauce, lime juice, and white pepper. These are vegan and gluten-free. They do not contain peanuts, but they do contain cashews, so avoid them if you have a tree-nut allergy. I noticed when I opened the bag that the pieces are on the brittle side with lots of fragments in the bag.

Noodles:
Crispy and light with a clean crunch. The thin vermicelli texture keeps them from feeling dense. A slick, oily coating dials back the crunch a bit, but from a texture they absolutely work as a crispy snack.
• 9/10

Spiciness:
Very mild. I taste a little chili, enough that people who avoid spice entirely may notice it, but it never builds or lingers.
• 1/10

Overall:
The flavor hits all five basic tastes at once. Onion and nuttiness are the first notes I picked up, followed by plenty of sweetness, a pop of tartness from tamarind and tomato, and a strong lime finish. The occasional cashew bits add some nice variety to the texture. I think the oiliness is the main weakness because it softens the crunch and leaves my fingers slick, although another weakness is that I think the price per ounce is on the high side for a small bag. Even with those caveats, the sweet-sour-salty balance is addictive and the snack angle is fun and different. I would happily buy another bag, but I would prefer a larger size at the same price.
• 8/10