Trader Joe's Matcha Green Tea Japanese Noodles

Before I get angry at Trader Joe's, I have to remind myself that this product was not invented by Trader Joe's. It already existed (at Japanese grocery stores, Amazon, the republic of Japan, etc) before TJ's thought to bring it onboard as a limited edition product. And actually if I had done my market research, I probably would have purchased loads and loads of this product. Because y'all... this product is legit. 

If this product debuted 10 years ago, when the appearance of any Asian product made me pretty excited that my culture or my adjacent cultures were being represented at an offbeat American grocer, I would have been THRILLED. I'm still happy. But y'all, it's 2021. As an Asian-American, at first glance I automatically assumed and identified these noodles as "soba," which are noodles made of buckwheat flour or a combination of buckwheat and wheat flours. It wasn't until I took this home that I noticed that TJ's left the proper name off the packaging. HOW HARD is it to call a product by its name? How hard is it to call them "matcha green tea soba noodles" and elaborate for the uninformed/uneducated that they are Japanese noodles? Japanese noodles x2 on the packaging is not only redundant and imprecise - it's downright lazy and I'm calling it out. There are SO many kinds of Japanese noodles (somen, ramen, udon, yakisoba just to name a few). TJ's would never been so lazy to generically label their Italian pasta shapes as "Italian noodles" - if you can tell the difference between linguine, spaghetti, and angel hair, you can learn the differences between soba, udon, and somen. 

This really doesn't make sense, especially since TJ's is usually quick to name stuff, albeit inaccurately at times (yes, I'm talking about shakshuka), - Korean roasted barley tea instead of "Korean tea," boba ice cream or mochi ice cream, Murasaki sweet potato chips instead of "Japanese sweet potato chips," and every instant ramen noodle cup ever. How hard is it to call something by its proper name and then explain what it is?? 

...it makes me question the diversity of upper management Trader Joe's, R&D, marketing, etc. 

Anyways, this is a legit product of Japan. They are soba noodles, even if TJ's doesn't know or knew and chose not to call them soba noodles or chose not to consult someone who would call them soba noodles. It's a pretty small package - three servings for 6.35oz, but what makes this special is that it's infused with matcha tea powder, which I would imagine changes the flavor profile slightly. 

1) Right out of the package, you can definitely smell the matcha, which to me seems pretty legit like they used a decent quality matcha.

2) I prepared the noodles per package directions. Three minutes for al dente - you really can't beat that if you're short on time. I plunged mine into a bowl of ice water to prep it for a cold noodle dish.  For my first taste, I paired it with a soba sauce, recipe from Just One Cookbook. Honestly, when you go too heavy on the soy sauce, it kind of drowns out the matcha flavor. Also this is the part where I am tempted to make fun of those on the internet who are like, "omg this tastes so good with soy sauce!" - they're not wrong. But, it's like putting your pasta with ketchup. Or Ragu. I mean..sure I guess it can taste good and get the job done but you are missing out on a world of flavor. 

3) Soba is a really gentle noodle. It doesn't sink in your stomach like other, heavier, wheat noodles. It pairs well with a lightly balanced sauce, green onions, and seaweed. 

4) For my second tasting, I used less of the soba sauce (that I had too much soy sauce in it relative to the other ingredients) and balanced it a little more with some black vinegar and a touch of sesame oil. When you tone down the soy sauce, the matcha flavor appears like a slight earthiness and it gives the noodles more subtle dimension. In a blind taste test, I wouldn't really be able to identify the flavor as matcha (though A claims he would - what is he? a super taster?), but there's no denying that this is pleasant.

5) I have already ranted during an IG story about how overpriced this product is. $3 for THREE servings of noodles. But it's about the same price elsewhere. At Mitsuwa, I found a package that was $6 (it might have been bigger than 6 oz though), and Amazon sells one that might be cheaper by unit price. But price is just one factor. These noodles were very easy to cook and the end product is really quite authentic and on par with soba noodles that I've had at Japanese restaurants. Plus, that green color is quite aesthetically pleasing. 

6) I thought I would regret picking this product up, but I have none. Except that maybe I could have splurged and purchased a few more packs. 

7) You best bet I will be writing to TJ's about the marketing though. 

TL;DR: Trader Joe's Matcha Green Tea Japanese Noodles. Legit soba with a backdrop of earthy matcha. TJ's needs to learn the difference. Or hire Asian people to work on marketing. 8.5 out of 10. Mantou Joe repurchase? Actually, yes.