Trader Joe's New Dessert Doesn't Have Every Customer Convinced: 'Sounds Like Nightmare Fuel'

Trader Joe's is back at it, recently releasing a new dessert that's dividing the internet. This time around, the chain's Mango Sticky Rice is the center of the discussion. The Thai-inspired dessert is billed as a great way to cap off a spicy meal, and plenty of customers who have sampled it say it's a dream come true. But while many can't wait to try it themselves, some are hesitant given what they're seeing.

One concern that's been voiced on Reddit is the lackluster appearance of the product, which doesn't inspire confidence about the quality. One person said, "Sorry, but this looks unappealing." Another commenter agreed when they said, "That doesn't look like any mango sticky rice I've ever seen. Gonna pass on this one."

Some of the most passionate critiques came from people who weren't thrilled about how the dessert is supposed to be prepared. According to the directions on the box, it should be heated in the microwave for 1 minute, and some were astounded that customers were being instructed to treat fruit so poorly. "Microwave mango?" one person questioned. A separate Redditor said, "Microwaved mango sounds like nightmare fuel." They have a point — freezing fruit and then microwaving it can't be doing wonderful things to the texture. Judging from some of the unenthusiastic comments about the latest dessert, it probably won't end up in the Trader Joe's Hall of Fame, and not just because of the microwaved mango paradox.

Trader Joe's sets low prices on much of its merchandise, and $4.69 for two portions of dessert doesn't scream highway robbery at first glance. And yet, Reddit isn't convinced the cost reflects what you should receive, like this person who said, "This looks very unappetizing, and the portion is way tiny." The original poster who tried the dessert agreed and might have given it a higher rating were the portion sizes more generous. "I'll give this an 8/10 — I think the portion is small but it was tasty and sticky rice is always satisfying to eat!"

Another commenter gave Trader Joe's its flowers for attempting to produce an uncommon dessert, but shared criticism about the quantity and the overall quality when they said, "The portions are very small, and it is a cheap recipe to make from scratch and 4x the portion size, as well as have fresh, cold mangos that have not been microwaved." They make a fair point. If folks buy the unique kind of rice you need for sticky rice, fresh mangos, and a few other ingredients (if they're not already in the pantry), it's not difficult to whip up a higher quality, more filling version at home. Still, for $4.69, it might be worth trying at least once to see for yourself which side of the debate you land on.