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I have tried a few brands of nori seaweed, including the name brand gimme as well as some that Aldi occasionally sells. I am not a fan. If I can manage to get past the smell, I’m put off by the slimy texture it develops once it’s in my mouth. Yet, one of my kids loves the stuff.
Fellow Aldi Reviewer writer Elizabeth told me about some seaweed snacks at Trader Joe’s, which is a cousin to Aldi. I was skeptical, but I bought a bag anyway, especially after an employee saw me eyeing the snacks and mentioned that her kid eats them by the bag.
These snacks are different than the traditional dried nori I’ve tried before. These are coated in a spicy tempura batter and are thick and crispy. Elizabeth describes them as having a texture similar to Sun Chips.
Trader Joe’s Spicy Tempura Seaweed Snack is a product of Thailand. The package states these feature crispy seaweed coated with tempura batter and seasoned with togarashi style seasoning. Togarashi is a small, hot Japanese chili that is often a component of a spice mix that includes seaweed, orange zest, ginger, sesame seeds, and chili powder.
These cost $3.29 for a 2.1-ounce package at the time of publication. That comes out to about $1.57 per ounce or, with two servings per package, it’s about $1.65 per serving.
You can find similar seaweed snacks sold under other brands at other retailers. Target sells Nora brand tempura spicy seaweed snacks for about $2.31 per ounce at the time of publication. I also found Nora and other brands such as Hi Tempura on Amazon, but you’ll likely pay even more. That makes the Trader Joe’s version the best deal in terms of price.
I found the Trader Joe’s seaweed snacks not in the TJ’s snack aisle alongside other chips and crackers. Instead, at my local store, they were on a hanging display attached to a shelf in the beverage aisle.
If you’re looking out for allergens, they contain wheat.
Other ingredients include tempura flour mix, rice bran oil, nori seaweed, and togarashi style seasoning.
Note: these contain a small desiccant packet to maintain product quality and absorb any ambient moisture in the package. Make sure you don’t eat it.
Nutrition information and ingredients. (Click to enlarge.)
One serving has 170 calories, 11 grams of total fat (14% DV), 2.5 grams of saturated fat (13% DV), 270 mg of sodium (12% DV), 15 grams of total carbohydrates (5% DV), 2 grams of dietary fiber (7% DV), 1 gram of total sugars, less than 1 gram of added sugars (1% DV), and 2 grams of protein.
As for how these taste, they exceeded my expectations. The snacks are light, airy, and crispy, with a texture that really is similar to Sun Chips, like fellow writer Elizabeth said. They’re crunchy and kind of dissolve in your mouth, and while they do have a briny flavor with notes of seaweed, the seaweed flavor isn’t overly strong.
I would consider this snack to have a medium spice level. They’re about as spicy as I prefer to eat, but they’re less spicy than most Takis flavors. I had to keep a glass of water nearby while eating my seaweed snacks.
My child who loves regular nori did not care for these because of their spiciness. Also, another one of my children who loves spicy foods such as Takis did not like these because they’re made with seaweed. In fact, while everyone in my house sampled these, no one liked them except me. So, your mileage may vary.
The Verdict:
Trader Joe’s Spicy Tempura Seaweed Snack features crispy nori seaweed coated with a crunchy, spicy tempura batter. These have a texture similar to chips and make a good snack or lunch side if you’re a fan of seaweed and/or spicy foods. I don’t care for most seaweed snacks, but these are surprisingly good.
