The Strawberry Type Trader Joe's Uses In Its Frozen Gone Berry Crazy! Treat
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From its famously oozing-with-ganache Chocolate Lava Cakes to its widely adored chocolate-chip rolled Sublime Ice Cream Sandwiches, many Trader Joe's desserts have become an essential part of its private brand grocery legacy. And all TJ shoppers that love to bite into the chain's treats know that it's Gone Berry Crazy! is a customer favorite.
Originally created as a way to capitalize on the popularity of its bestselling Gone Bananas! dessert per the company's website, this snack features frozen dark chocolate-covered strawberries. But while Instagrammer Trader Joe's Food Reviews even notes that this a pretty run-of-the-mill product, they also report that TJ's take on this classic treat is "an incredible dessert" that tastes "fancy." And while many users in the comment section agree with them, one Instagrammer said it best, writing "these are amazing and everyone loves them."
So what's the deal? Why have some fans on Reddit even gone as far as to report Gone Berry Crazy! changed their life? Well, it turns out the strawberries TJ uses for this snack aren't your average produce.
This strawberry variety is Trader Joe's approved
On Trader Joe's website, you'll discover that Gone Berry Crazy! should not be defrosted before eating and that each six-piece serving only clocks in at 100 calories. But if you scroll past the usual fair, you'll find this product's "berry interesting" origin story. According to Trader Joe's, the strawberries in this treat aren't grown in the United States. The produce is actually imported from Thailand. Why Thailand? As My Chiang Mai Tour and the Michelin Guide report, this country is very particular about how it grows its strawberries. In fact, the nation has an entire district called Samoeng dedicated to farming the fruit. And tourists across the world come to Thailand each year to eat, see, and even sometimes stay the night in its sweet strawberry fields. So it goes without saying that the country's premium product caught the eye of Trader Joe's.
And aside from being decadently sweet, as Trader Joe's Food Reviews notes on Instagram, these Thailand-sourced treats are always harvested and then frozen at their absolute ripest. So unlike the type you pick up in the produce section, when snacking on Gone Berry Crazy! you're unlikely to bite into a sour-tasting chocolate-dipped strawberry. But the real question is, can you buy this imported fruit for yourself?
How to find Thailand's famous strawberries
As Nation Thailand reports, the strawberry sellers of Thailand have recently seen a huge spike in online orders for their signature fruit. However, if you're hoping to get these strawberries in the U.S., while you can buy them via the internet, you won't get them fresh. While Trader Joe's notes that its imported fresh strawberries are "flash frozen," consumers will have to settle for dried strawberries from Thailand. You can find bags of this preserved fruit online at the likes of Nutstop.com and Amazon. However, only being able to buy these babies preserved won't put a damper on your baking spirit. There are plenty of ways to make delicious recipes with your dried Thai fruit.
For starters, you can replicate TJ's Gone Berry Crazy! at home by trying To Taste's dark chocolate-covered dried fruit bites. Or, you could even make morning maple bars. And while you might not be able to bake a true strawberry shortcake with your dried Thai berries, Cookstr notes that you can use them to create a decadent fruit tart. So with Trader Joe's secret out of the bag, you'll also be able to use Thai strawberries as your very own special ingredient.