15 Unexpectedly Fancy Aldi Foods To Grab On Your Next Shopping Trip

One of the biggest myths non-Aldi shoppers believe about the chain is that it only carries cut-rate grocery staples. I admit, I was unimpressed on my first visit many years ago, but this was because I failed to look past the generic labels and cut-open cardboard boxes to see that Aldi actually offers some pretty bougie items among the bargain-bin basics. Now I count it as one of my favorite stores. Even though I'm still a bit cheesed off about that blind box promo (don't do that again, Aldi), on my trip I'll still be exploring the latest Aisle of Shame finds and haunting the frozen foods section in hope of seeing my favorite marzipan mousse cake return once more.

One reason I keep coming back to Aldi is that it's pretty much the perfect grocery store for me, offering all of the budget-priced basics along with a fair number of gourmet goodies. With what I save on everyday items, I figure I can splurge on a few treats, too.

Even Aldi's fancier foods are generally not that expensive. It's thanks to Aldi that I've tried wagyu burgers, and both charcuterie-style meats and imported European chocolate are something I regularly have in the fridge. (The latter two items are among the must-buy Aldi items I recommend for first-time shoppers.) In fact, many of the products on this list come in at under $5 (even the wagyu), with others just a few cents over. The only items that are significantly more expensive — crab legs and duck — are still priced lower than you might pay elsewhere.

"Speck" seems like a rather unglamorous name for an Italian deli meat product, since we're more used to ones with euphonious multi-syllabic names like mortadella, prosciutto, and soppressata. The name is actually derived from a German word meaning "thick" or "fat," since this type of salt-cured ham comes from the Tyrol region that borders Austria and Switzerland. Priano Speck Italiano, which is imported from Italy, does share some characteristics with the same brand's imported prosciutto, but it's a bit thicker (as the name might imply) and somewhat milder tasting.

Purchase a 3-ounce package of Priano Speck Italiano at Aldi for $3.19.

If you're having plain old cheese and crackers, then saltines will work just fine, but if you're calling it a cheese board, those crackers better be artisan ones. Savoritz makes three different varieties of rustic-looking crackers in foodie flavors: Fig Black Sesame, Cranberry Sea Salt, and Raisin Rosemary. Each one will look lovely posed alongside your fanciest cheeses and charcuterie, and as a bonus, they taste pretty good, too.

Purchase a 5.3-ounce box of Savoritz Artisan Crisps at Aldi for $4.29.

Chefs tend to prefer bronze-cut pasta because of its rougher texture, which helps the sauce stick better. Of course, this endorsement often comes with a caveat, since it tends to mean that you might pay a premium for the product. Or not — if you shop at Aldi — since the Priano brand produces bronze-cut conchiglie (shells), fettuccine, linguine, penne, rigatoni, and spaghetti. A pound of each variety will cost you less than $2.

Purchase a 16-ounce package of Priano bronze-cut pasta at Aldi for $1.99.

Seafood is generally not the cheapest of protein options, and shellfish is often a pretty big-ticket item. The snow crab legs that Aldi sells are therefore one of the store's pricier products, but they are very high quality. As one Redditor described, "They had a sweet, briny taste and a satisfying texture," later adding, "Overall, they were a great value and a solid seafood option for a landlocked state." Nor is Aldi's snow crab expensive compared to other retailers — Walmart sells a similarly sized package for $5 more.

Purchase a 24-ounce box of Specially Selected Snow Crab Clusters for $23.99.

When Dubai-style chocolate was first introduced to the United States market, I was eager to try it. The marriage of chocolate and pistachio has long been a favorite flavor combination of mine, but I didn't want to pay the high prices it was selling for. Aldi, however, has helped to make such products affordable. Not only does it carry the Picca Dubai-style milk chocolate bar for $4, it now produces its own Dubai-style pistachio spread with cocoa and kadayif pastry.

Purchase a 7-ounce jar of Aldi Dubai Swirl Spread for $4.49.

Burrata, which is fresh mozzarella cheese with a creamy filling, is a trendy product that I had yet to try until I saw it at Aldi. At other supermarkets where I shop, its price has hovered a bit above my comfort zone, but Specially Selected burrata is a few bucks less, so I gave it a whirl. I'm not ordinarily a huge mozzarella fan since I find it bland and a wee bit rubbery, but this stuff was soft and super-tasty. I ate a fair amount right out of the container, then used the rest in a pasta salad.

Purchase an 8-ounce tub of Specially Selected Burrata at Aldi for $4.65.

Provola cheese, thankfully, has no relation to provel, a polarizing processed cheese that St. Louisans inexplicably enjoy on their city's signature pizza. It's also not an alternate spelling for provolone but is rather a separate (although related) cheese with a milder, sweeter flavor. Aldi uses this less-familiar cheese as a topping for its Specially Selected Garlic Provola Wood-Fired Flatbread, resulting in an excellent appetizer for any Italian-style meal.

Purchase a 10-ounce Specially Selected Garlic Provola Wood-Fired Flatbread for $3.99.

I'm beginning to sound like a broken record here, but wagyu beef was another high-end item I'd never tried until Aldi started selling it. Specially Selected 100% Wagyu Ground Beef may not come from Kobe cattle, but it is the real deal. One Redditor who tried it said, "It was awesome," while another elaborated, "It's soo delicious too. The flavor and texture is superior imo." I concur with both comments, but even if you're wagyu-agnostic, $5 a pound is pretty cheap for any kind of ground beef these days.

Purchase a pound of Specially Selected Wagyu Ground Beef at Aldi for $4.99.

Cheddar is a British cheese, but some of the best cheddar comes from Ireland. The reason, they say, is because cows grazing on the Emerald Isle's eponymously green grass produce milk that just tastes richer. Aldi's Emporium Selection offers three different Irish cheddars: Mild, which is perfect for grilled cheese sandwiches; Vintage, which seems tailor-made for cheese boards; and Mature, a tweener that can fill both roles.

Purchase a 7-ounce block of Emporium Selection Irish Cheddar Cheese at Aldi for $4.59.

Is gelato just another word for ice cream? Well, yes, actually, since that is the literal translation of the word, and it is made with the same basic ingredients. The Italian recipe, however, calls for less cream and more milk, and gelato usually has a denser texture. Still, just calling a thing by a name in a different language makes it sound 100x fancier (the "pommes frites" effect, we'll call it). Sundae Shoppe's Mixed Berry and Triple Chocolate gelatos come in plastic cartons that show off how pretty they look with their different flavor layers.

Purchase a 28.5-ounce carton of Sundae Shoppe Gelato at Aldi for $3.29.

On the menu of L'Auberge Chez François, a Virginia French restaurant that consistently ranks among Open Table's Top 100, you'll find a dish called moules au beurre d'ail. This dish of mussels cooked in butter and garlic may not be as well-known as moules marinière, but it's another French seafood classic. It's also something you can find in Aldi's freezer case priced at under $3 per pound. I can't vouch for the Specially Selected Mussels in Garlic Butter Sauce being an exact dupe of L'Auberge's since I've never dined at that restaurant, but I can verify that Aldi's version is très délicieux and bon marché, as well.

Purchase a 16-ounce package of Specially Selected Mussels in Garlic Butter Sauce at Aldi for $2.49.

Chicken is everyday fare, and even turkey, although we trot it out on special occasions, is still a bargain-basement bird. Duck, on the other hand, is a fowl more associated with fine dining. You might find it at a specialty meat market and selling for a premium price, but Aldi often stocks Kirkwood whole frozen ducks that are priced quite reasonably compared to other retailers. (According to June 2026 market data from Selina Wamucii, Aldi is charging slightly less than half of the nationwide average price per pound.) Each duck also comes with a packet of orange sauce so you can easily turn your bird into canard à l'orange.

Purchase Kirkwood Whole Duck at Aldi for $3.29 per pound (about $20 for a 6-pound bird).

Specially Selected desserts are like the world's most elevated Snack Packs. Yes, they're pudding in cups, but there's a lot you can do with the leftover glass cups from these Aldi desserts. The pudding, too, is embellished with layers that make it both more flavorful and colorful. Offerings include a cookies and cream mousse with a chocolate cookie crumb bottom, vanilla middle, and chocolate topping and a strawberry white chocolate mousse with vanilla cookie crumbs, white chocolate pudding, and strawberry topping.

Purchase a two-pack of Specially Selected Cups at Aldi for $3.99.

A plain old stuffed manzanilla olive might be acceptable to plop in your dirty martini, but if you're garnishing a charcuterie board, kalamata olives are practically de rigueur. They're big, they're bold, and their purplish color makes for an attractive accent. Specially Selected Kalamata Olives are also low-priced, leaving you more money to buy artisan crackers and imported deli meats.

Purchase a 6-ounce jar of Specially Selected Kalamata Olives at Aldi for $2.29.

Some cheeses, like burrata, are best when fresh, but many others only improve with age. Aldi is selling two cheeses that are almost old enough to be starting school: a 5.3-ounce block of Specially Selected 1,000 Day Aged Gouda and a 7-ounce block of Specially Selected Four Year Aged Yellow Cheddar. The first is rich and nutty, while the second is sharp and tangy. Both would be lovely paired with a plate of fresh fruit, some simple crackers, and a glass of wine.

Purchase Specially Selected aged cheeses at Aldi for $4.29.