For 14 years, Trader Joe's has asked its customers to list which nine products they'd take with them to a deserted island, compiling the most requested items into its list of Customer Choice Awards winners. This year, the survey received over 18,000 responses for the nine categories, but you likely won't see your top-tier favorites in the winner circle.
That's because for this year's awards, it pulled five of its highly-awarded products from the competition altogether. Instead, it honored favorites like Trader Joe's Soy Chorizo, Peanut Butter Filled Pretzel Nuggets, and its Mandarin Orange Chicken by placing them in the new Trader Joe's Hall of Fame.
"As the years have gone on, some products have so consistently won in their category (or even multiple categories) that we felt the time was right to take them out of contention, so that other products might get their turn in the spotlight," the company shared on its Hall of Fame page.
So, which products are taking the crown instead? Number one overall is the Trader Joe's Chili & Lime Flavored Rolled Tortilla Chips. Made from stone ground corn masa, these chips are cut, rolled, and fried for a crispy texture, then coated in a spicy chili and lime seasoning.
As for its top overall beverage, the Sparkling Honeycrisp Apple Juice Beverage took home the glory. Despite being a seasonal item, it made a strong impression on customers and stood out as the top choice. The drink is a simple three-ingredient blend of apple juice, water, and seltzer.
Trader Joe's is well-known for its selection of high-quality cheeses, and it is a category that the store takes very seriously. This year's winner is Cheddar Cheese with Caramelized Onions, a cheddar cheese produced by an English countryside estate, which uses creamy milk from local grazing herds before it is mixed with sweet onion marmalade.
See if any of your favorites came out on top here.
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