12 Fancy Foods And Drinks You Should Always Buy At Aldi

Aldi is quickly establishing itself as one of America's favorite grocery store brands. The company currently has over 2,000 stores in the United States and gained 1 million customers in 2022 alone. Many of these individuals were attracted by Aldi's famously low prices.

Those who are not in the know might assume that Aldi maintains such low prices by stocking lower-quality products. This is not the case. Instead, Aldi makes numerous strategic decisions that allow the brand to offer high-quality food and drinks at lower prices than its competitors. For example, the vast majority of products stocked by Aldi are private labels. Stocking private labels above name brands allows Aldi to keep marketing and distribution costs low while not impacting product quality. The savings made by this approach are reflected in the product's lower price.

Many consumers shop at Aldi in order to save money, but this doesn't mean customers are not in the market for fancy foods. As a result, Aldi stocks many luxurious, private-label products. While these products remain cheap, they are also of impressive quality and regularly outscore expensive products from well-established, luxury brands when entered into competitions. Here are some of Aldi's fancy products that prove you can have both value for money and luxury.

Aldi has a long history of producing alcoholic beverages that punch above their weight. The Giambellino Peach Bellini is one such example; the product has previously received an exceptional rating of 92, and a gold medal, from the Beverage Tasting Institute. The Bellini also received a bronze medal from USA Wine Ratings. It's not just the professionals that like the Bellini either. The product was voted an Aldi Fan Favorite in 2022.

The Giambellino Peach Bellini is made with sparkling wine and natural peach flavors that remain strong throughout the drinking experience. At around $7 for a 750-milliliter bottle, the peach Bellini is a cheap and easy way to upgrade any Sunday brunch.

Aldi's bottled cocktail selection does extend further than the Bellini; the company also stocks a highly regarded mimosa. The Oh Me, Oh My! Mimosa is made from freshly squeezed orange juice and dry white wine. Although it is not sparkling, this cocktail is well-rated; it received an exceptional score of 90 from the Beverage Tasting Institute. Both products boast an ABV of 8% and are sure to be crowd-pleasers no matter the occasion.

Few fish are as luxurious as salmon. While Aldi stocks multiple versions of this sought after fish, none are as decadent as Ducktrap Lightly Smoked Salmon Portions. The salmon in this product comes from producers that are Best Aquaculture Practices certified. This certification ensures that every stage of the production chain meets exacting environmental standards and is in keeping with Aldi's drive to adopt increasingly sustainable seafood sourcing strategies.

In terms of taste, the salmon benefits from a smoking process that encompasses four types of wood: cherry, apple, oak, and maple. This mixture of fruit and hardwoods results in a complex flavor that is marked by both subtle sweetness and an intense smoky note; flavors that perfectly complement salmon's rich, oily flesh. The result is a brilliant piece of fish that consumers, including this individual who posted to Reddit, love: "The last time I went they had a brand called Ducktrap lightly smoked that was 30% off so I tried it. [it] was the best piece of salmon I've ever had. I can't wait to get more."

Queen olives, otherwise known as Gordal olives, are known for being the largest green olives produced in Spain. Aside from size, they are celebrated for their firm texture and bright, citrus flavor. Aldi supplements the olive's natural flavor with a variety of fillings including blue cheese, garlic, and jalapeño. Such a variety of flavors all but ensures there is a stuffed olive to suit every occasion.

While all of these olives make exceptional appetizers, their usage should not be limited to snacking alone. The blue cheese stuffed olives in particular have a variety of uses. Most notably, they work exceptionally well as a garnish for martinis – a trend that gained traction in the 1990s. If a whole blue cheese stuffed olive in your martini feels too much, the brine the olives come submerged in can be used to create a cheese-tinged dirty martini. Just add a few drops to taste when making your drink.

When it comes to cooking oils, few are held in as high regard as extra virgin olive oil. Unfortunately, many fake iterations of extra virgin olive oil — where subpar oil is labeled as extra virgin — are being sold within the United States. Thankfully, one extra virgin olive oil sold by Aldi has a protected denomination certification guaranteeing that the oil inside the bottle is genuine.

Aldi's Specially Selected Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oil carries the Val Da Mazara P.D.O. This certification ensures that all olives are cultivated and processed within Palermo and Agrigento. The oil must pass certain checks and is packaged within this area too. Not only is the oil rigorously tested, it is also delicious, presenting distinct grassy flavors as high-quality olive oil is known to do.

The other two extra virgin olive oils stocked by Aldi are not P.D.O. certified, however, they do carry the NAOOA certification. All oils that have achieved NAOOA certification must meet International Olive Council standards. The oils are also regularly tested with samples being taken directly from the market. As a result, the integrity of all these extra virgin olive oils should not be doubted by customers.

Emporium Selection is a private label that Aldi markets its premium quality cheese under. While the usual suspects of parmesan, mozzarella, and cheddar are represented, this line also boasts more select options including protected denomination manchego from Spain.

The P.D.O. certification guarantees that Aldi's manchego is made in Spain's central region of La Mancha from the milk of Manchega sheep raised in the region's famous dehesa. As a result, Aldi's cheese demonstrates the classic characteristics associated with manchego. It is semi-hard with a herringbone weave pattern on the rind. In terms of flavor, the cheese is sweet with lovely herbal notes. These characteristics have caused the cheese to be well received by Aldi shoppers of all descriptions with former cheesemongers even praising the cheese.

Aldi's also sells other famous European cheeses under its Emporium Selection brand. Most notable is the gruyère, a nutty, Swiss cheese that is particularly suited to melting. Smoked gouda is also available.

Prosciutto is a type of dry-cured ham that was invented in Italy. As with many other European specialties, Aldi produces an exceptional version, sold at a bargain price under one of its private brands.

Appleton Farms Prosciutto is not only excellent by Aldi standards but by prosciutto standards in general. The product regularly ranks among the best when tasted side-by-side with competing products. The general consensus is that, at under $5, the prosciutto is exceptional value for money, a sentiment echoed by one customer on Reddit: "Appleton Farms dry-cured ham prosciutto. Great quality every time at a reasonable price. A phenomenal bite that pairs well with mild cheese, sweet fruit, or both. Phenomenal."

Fans of this dry-cured meat should also try Aldi's Specially Selected Panino Deli Tray. This product contains three different deli meats — prosciutto, pepperoni, and salami – wrapped around strips of mozzarella; a brilliant addition to any charcuterie board.