Anneta Konstantinides/Insider
- I recently had my Greek parents try 15 different Greek products from Trader Joe’s.
- There were six products my parents loved so much, it reminded them of home.
- My parents were huge fans of the frozen 5 Cheese Greek Spiral, Greek Spanakopita, and feta cheese.
Anneta Konstantinides/Insider
My mom and dad were huge fans of Trader Joe’s 5 Cheese Greek Spiral and Greek Spanakopita.
Since my mom makes a fantastic cheese pie and spanakopita of her own, I never thought she’d be impressed with a frozen version — but she loved them both.
Anneta Konstantinides/Insider
Trader Joe’s 5 Cheese Greek Spiral includes Gouda, kasseri, kefalotyri, semi-hard cheese, and blue cheese all stuffed between thin sheets of phyllo. Its label says the pie is made in Greece and is the same as “what’d you find if you were traveling in the Greek Isles.”
My parents were such big fans of the 5 Cheese Greek Spiral, they said it was actually the best frozen cheese pie they’ve had in the US. And believe me, they’ve tried many.
“Cheese pies can be very salty, but this has the proper amount of saltiness,” said my dad, who loved the cheese combination.
“It’s also the perfect size,” my mom told me. “Usually frozen cheese pies in the US come in a huge spiral, and then the extra just ends up getting dry in the fridge.”
Anneta Konstantinides/Insider
Trader Joe’s Greek Spanakopita includes spinach and three different cheeses (feta, mizithra, and a grating cheese), plus onions, leeks, dill, and parsley. According to the product description, Trader Joe’s “engaged some Athenian bakers” to make its version authentic.
The label wasn’t just smart advertising. Both my parents praised the spanakopita’s authentic flavors.
“It’s crispy, and it’s got a good balance of spinach and cheese,” my dad said. “There isn’t an overwhelming amount of spinach, which I like.”
My mom also loved that the spinach still looked and tasted fresh.
“I would definitely buy both the cheese spiral and spanakopita if I didn’t have time to prepare my own,” she told me.