Trader Joe's Fully Cooked Organic Brown Rice

November 18, 2007 | Reviewer: Abi

Trader Joe’s Fully Cooked Organic Brown Rice Price: $1.99
Serving: 1 container, 7.4oz.
Calories: 340 per serving
Fat: 4%, 2.5g
Cholesterol: 0%, 0mg
Sodium: 0%, 0mg
Protein: 7g
Carbs: 24%, 22g
Fiber: 12%, 3g
Weight Watchers Points: 6 Points

Trader Joe says: He doesn’t say this exactly, but I will paraphrase for you. Well, paraphrase if it meant “Taking longer to explain something that it would just take you to read it off the pakage, but the print is small so you just have to trust me on this one.” You can cook Trader Joe’s pre-cooked organic brown rice on the stove or in the microwave. The stove version involves submerging the entire package in boiling water for 10 minutes. If you have to resort to something like that, maybe you should just consider investing in a microwave or becoming friends with a microwave-owning neighbor.

Abi says: Whenever I eat brown rice I think of colon cancer. I don’t even know if there’s a link between colon cancer and fiber, but that’s what I think about. I also think about how I’m being a taste martyr for my colon. Because brown rice isn’t particularly tasty. Not that I eat it solo, but still, when you say brown rice is the first thought in your head:

Yum
Ugh
While not the tastiest thing on the planet, it is probably better for digestion than that fragrant jasmine rice I wish I was eating instead.

Hmmmm? I find this style of eating particularly depressing, the whole “I will eat this because it is good for me even though it tastes bad.” mantra is abominable. I only ate this because I purchased it. And I only purchased it because I have a sick fascination with shelf-stable items (see super-scary Taco Bell Bowlz Review by Andrew) and I like to eat rice with my from the pouch Indian food. Basically, it was a back-up for a time when I would be without Trader Joe’s Garlic Naan.

Trader Joe’s Frozen Organic Jasmine Rice A suitable back-up it was not. This was the least delicious brown rice I’ve had in my life. This is saying something because I’ve been consuming a lot of brown rice lately. This is also my third little tray of pre-cooked rice (the others were white and brown) and I’ve found that they are all unbelievably sticky and soggy. Frozen rice just completely kicks shelf-stable rice’s butt. Not that you should be buying frozen rice if you own a rice cooker or you rock at making rice, but coming from a household where a certain loved one cannot let a pot of rice cook without lifting the lid and stirring it ALL THE FREAKING TIME, microwaveable frozen rice is a godsend. Also, it is ready in 3 minutes, which is just 90 more seconds than it takes to heat the gummy shelf-stable rice. Alas, I have not yet reviewed the incredible frozen rice, so for now all I will do is offer you a picture and say “Go, buy this frozen rice in the purple box. Keep it in your freezer. Do not be alarmed when you decide that paying 10 times too much for rice is perfectly acceptable because it is so amazingly speedy and delicious.”

comments

8 Responses to “Trader Joe's Fully Cooked Organic Brown Rice”

Marvo on November 19th, 2007

Brown rice is all about the fiber and lack of spike in blood sugar levels.
Jessica on November 19th, 2007

It’s good for you.
Karen on November 20th, 2007

Hmm…I almost bought this. I don’t think I will now. I did buy a different TJ’s pre-cooked brown rice, and it was really good. It turned out the rice equivalent of “al dente,” not gummy at all.

I happen to like brown rice sometimes. I have had some unpleasant, tasteless brown rice experiences, but I’ve found that there are some good brown rices. (Try TJ’s brown basmati rice)
Dez on November 20th, 2007

I have a little rice cooker. I used to have a big one and it died. Rice cookers rock.
Cynthia Cappelli on December 3rd, 2007

I do very much agree that the trader joe’s frozen cooked brown rice is awesome for 3 reasons: taste, texture and convenience. That being said, I live in Hawaii where there are NO TRADER JOE”S so does ANYONE know WHERE else I might be able to find that or another brand of frozen cooked brown rice???
Goob on December 8th, 2007

All of the precooked and frozen rice I have had (tv dinners) or rice I had at a chinese restaurant and then taken home and eaten has been like little hard pellets w/ no taste. Even with you saying they are decent I would refuse to buy them. If I got them for free I would use them though.
danakscully64 on March 22nd, 2008

The rice in the 3 bags cooks PERFECTLY (Jasmine and Brown). Only 3 minutes to cook too.
tina on June 30th, 2008

The TJ’s frozen rice ROCKS! Both kinds. 3 minutes!!!! Even if I had a rice cooker, how can you pass up GREAT rice after expending only 3 minutes of microwave energy. PROBLEM: They never have it any more! My husband & I travel 6 hours to Long Island, and have checked both stores, but we have struck out the last 3 times. My friend couldn’t get it in Boston, either. Would love to call the factory to encourage them to make more….