You may be on the search for some good grocery store sushi, or maybe you are just heading to Trader Joe’s for a grocery run. Either way you are wondering, does Trader Joe’s sells sushi?
Trader Joes used to sell sushi, however, the chain chose to stop offering sushi at their locations. This is likely due to a recall back in 2019 and also from some poor reviews that their sushi had.
If you are willing to make your own sushi, Trader Joe’s does still sell many great sushi related ingredients. These include rice and sashimi-grade fish!
Does Trader Joe’s Sell Sushi?
No, Trader Joe’s no longer sells sushi. The store previously offered shrimp and California rolls, but these products were discontinued in early 2022. It is unclear whether ready-made sushi will ever return to Trader Joe’s.
Why Did Trader Joe’s Stop Offering Sushi?
Trader Joe’s stopped offering sushi because of two main factors.
The Reviews
The customer reviews of sushi from Trader Joe’s were consistently low – even for grocery store sushi. Common customer complaints included unusual-tasting rice and bitter-tasting fish. This is probably because sushi was never made on-site at Trader Joe’s, and sushi is one food you really should eat fresh.
I never enjoy grocery sushi as much as fresh made restaurant sushi.
Food Safety
The final straw for sushi at Trader Joe’s was a Listeria scare in the latter part of 2019. Trader Joe’s locations in 30 states had to recall sushi for possible contamination. You can see all the sushi products that were recalled here on Consumer Reports.
Does Trader Joe’s Cater Sushi?
Even though Trader Joe’s has lots of tasty catering options, sushi is not one of them. Trader Joe’s is not able to make sushi on-site so they cannot cater sushi.
Does Trader Joe’s Sell Sushi Ingredients?
Even though you cannot get ready-made sushi at Trader Joe’s, they have a lot of great ingredients for making your own sushi. Fish and rice are two of the things you might consider buying here.
Fish
Trader Joe’s is a great place to buy sushi-grade fish. They include the label “sashimi-grade” on all their sushi-safe fish. I love this because it takes the guesswork out of selecting your fish. Their variety is also wonderful. Once you purchase your sashimi-grade fish, make sure to eat it as fresh as possible!
Rice
Trader Joe’s carries many rice varieties. This includes several commonly used to make sushi. Sushi rice should be robust and medium to short grain. A common sushi rice that you can buy at Trader Joe’s is Calrose rice. It has a medium-length grain and is very flexible, so you can use it for many applications. They also carry short grain rice called Japonica which is more traditional.
Seaweed
This is the only category where Trader Joe’s falls a bit short. While they do have some seaweed products in stock, they aren’t the best for sushi. Instead, heading to another chain like Whole Foods or ordering from Amazon might be a better choice. The seaweed used for sushi should be roasted and pressed into thin sheets. It is often called “sushi nori.”
Sushi at Trader Joe’s FAQs
Does Trader Joe’s Sell Chopsticks?
No, you won’t find chopsticks at Trader Joe’s. Instead, Asian supermarkets and Amazon will both have many beautiful designs to choose from.
How Long Does Sushi Stay Fresh For?
While sushi can be refrigerated for about 48 hours, it will quickly lose its quality. The rice may harden, the ingredients soak together, its just not good to let it sit long. For best results, sushi should be eaten within hours of being made.
Final Thoughts
Trader Joe’s no longer sells ready-made sushi or provides catered sushi. This is a direct result of customer complaints about quality, and a Listeria scare during the end of 2019. Just because they do not sell sushi today does not mean they will not sell it in the future.