This $2.29 Trader Joe's Find Takes Me Back to Italy

My ideal summer evening will always include the art of aperitivo. I first experienced this magical snacking experience on a trip to Italy with my then-boyfriend, now-husband. We were living and working in Manhattan, and pulled together a trip to Milan on a shoestring budget.

Each evening, our hotel hosted a complimentary aperitivo hour where they served spritzes, olives, local cheese, cured meats, and an assortment of bread and Italian crackers. I couldn’t get enough. Believe me when I say we didn’t miss this once during our week-long trip!

While I loved the entire experience, I became most enamored with the crackers. Boring, I know, but they were light, buttery, complex, and seemed to complement everything. Unlike the Ritz and club crackers of my youth, they were not overly salty, which allowed the other elements of the grazing board to shine.

When we returned to New York, I’d sneak up to Arthur Avenue to buy a brown paper bag of my favorite taralli, rationing myself to just a few a day. When we moved to Connecticut, I found them at a few specialty stores, but with a price that reflected the overseas journey they had taken to get there.

Why I Love Trader Joe’s Aperitivo Medley Snack Mix

Leave it to Trader Joe’s to bring the best snacks from around the world to the people at an affordable price. Perhaps it’s because Aperol spritzes are having a moment, or maybe it’s because they read my mind. TJ’s has released a new limited-edition product that has made all of my aperitivo dreams come true: Italian Aperitivo Medley Snack Mix.

For $2.29, you get a snack mix that will instantly transport you to the summer streets of Rome, spritz in hand, and a perfect plate of pasta on the horizon. 

The mix includes three shapes of crackers: rosemary focacce (squares), traditional taralli (loops), and black olive trecce (nuggets), which are made in Bari, Italy, using an authentic recipe rich in extra-virgin olive oil and white wine for added dimension.

Picking a favorite shape would be a little like picking a favorite child, but I’m partial to the taralli. There’s something about the donut-like shape that is very satisfying to snack on. That said, the rosemary flavor of the focacce has an herbaceous bite that is perfect when paired with a creamy cheese and a crisp glass of Italian white. Last but certainly not least, the black olive trecce are deeply savory and make a beautiful accompaniment to a sweet, bubbly, and slightly bitter Spritz.

If you, too, are looking to enhance your aperitivo, I recommend stocking up now before this snack mix inevitably says arriverderci. 

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