FILE - Trader Joe's store in North Brunswick Township, New Jersey. (Photo by Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The customers at Trader Joe’s have spoken, revealing their most-loved products at the grocery chain — and it’s not the Mandarin Orange Chicken.
For the 14th year, Trader Joe’s released its Customer Choice Awards, asking shoppers to pick their favorite items across nine different categories: overall, beverage, cheese, entree, household, produce, snack, sweet/dessert, and vegan/vegetarian.
But in a twist this year, the California-based grocery chain retired five products that have won multiple times over the last 13 years "to make room for some other products to shine." This includes the Mandarin Orange Chicken, which earned Favorite Overall and Best Entrée multiple years in a row, as well as Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, Peanut Butter Filled Pretzel Nuggets, Unexpected Cheddar, and Soy Chorizo.
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To find out which foods are top-notch, Trader Joe’s posed the question, "If you were to spend the rest of your life on a deserted island, which nine Trader Joe’s products would you take with you?"
More than 18,000 people responded, and here’s what came out on top:
No. 1 beverage: Sparkling Honeycrisp Apple Juice (seasonal)
Runners-up:
- Triple Ginger Brew (seasonal)
- Sparkling Peach Black Tea with Peach Juice
- Sparkling Cranberry & Ginger Beverage (seasonal)
- Non-Dairy Brown Sugar Oat Creamer
No. 1 cheese: Cheddar Cheese with Caramelized Onions ($9.99 per pound)
Runners-up:
- Syrah Soaked Toscano
- Baked Lemon Ricotta (seasonal)
- Blueberry & Vanilla Chèvre
- Brie (various)
No. 1 entree: Butter Chicken with Basmati Rice ($4.49)
Runners-up:
- Chicken Tikka Masala
- Kung Pao Chicken
- Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese (seasonal)
- BBQ Teriyaki Chicken
FILE - Customers shop at a Trader Joe's store on July 16, 2020, in Pembroke Pines, Florida. (Photo by Johnny Louis/Getty Images)
No. 1 household: Scented candles
Runners-up:
- Daily Facial Sunscreen
- Ultra-Moisturizing Hand Cream
- Tea Tree Tingle Shampoo & Conditioner
- TShea Butter & Coconut Oil Hair Mask
No. 1 produce: Bananas (organic $0.25 each, $0.19 each conventional)
Runners-up:
- Teeny Tiny Avocados
- Honeycrisp Apples
- Brussels Sprouts
- Organic Carrots of Many Colors
No. 1 snack: Chili & Lime Flavored Rolled Tortilla Chips ($2.99)
Runners-up:
- Organic Elote Corn Chip Dippers
- Organic Corn Chip Dippers
- World’s Puffiest White Cheddar Corn Puffs
- Crunchy Curls
No. 1 sweet/dessert: Hold the Cone! Mini Ice Cream Cones ($3.79)
Runners-up:
- Danish Kringle (various)
- Sublime Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Chocolate Lava Cakes
- Brookie
No. 1 vegan/vegetarian: Vegan Kale, Cashew & Basil Pesto ($3.99)
Runners-up:
- Vegetable Fried Rice
- Beefless Bulgogi
- Palak Paneer
- Cauliflower Gnocchi
No. 1 overall: Chili & Lime Flavored Rolled Tortilla Chips ($2.99)
Runners-up:
- TJ's Hashbrowns
- Steamed Chicken Soup Dumplings
- Everything but the Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend
- 4 Chocolate Croissants
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This story was reported from Cincinnati.