I Fly 4 Hours to Shop at Trader Joe's — What I Buy Every Trip

My husband and I are from Barbados, but we visit family in the US a few times a year. Living in Barbados makes it difficult and expensive to find specialty food and ingredients, so we rely on our Trader Joe's trips to Miami to grab the items we can't find in our hometown.

We stop at the store on our way to the airport and always fill a suitcase with Trader Joe's treats before we board the nearly four-hour flight back to the Caribbean.

Though we like to grab some of our favorite items, Trader Joe's regularly introduces new products, so we get to discover interesting items whenever we visit the US.

Trader Joe's gives us the opportunity to add interesting twists to our favorite local meals.

We always pick up several dry items, like spices, to put in our hand luggage to distribute the weight more evenly. We can also bring certain food products into Barbados with a special license, which we buy on arrival at the Grantley Adams International Airport.

Here's everything I stocked up on during my trip to Trader Joe's in Miami.

Artisan cheeses are expensive in Barbados, and stock levels are very unpredictable because most of our food is imported. So I like to stock up on cheeses like Pecorino Romano, Swiss Gruyere, Parmesan, and Mexican cotija.

For $12 a pound, the Pecorino Romano is a salty Italian cheese made from sheep's milk with a slightly salty, nutty taste and a hint of sweetness. We usually grate it over pasta dishes, risotto, soups, and salads to add a burst of flavor.

The Swiss Gruyere, which is $11 a pound, is made with cow's milk and has a rich, complex flavor. It becomes smooth and luscious when melted, so it's perfect for grilled cheese sandwiches.

The Reggiano Parmesan has a natural saltiness that comes from aging during the cheese-making process. It's $17 per pound and is a staple ingredient for iconic Italian dishes like pasta, pizza, and risotto.

The Mexican cotija cheese has a crumbly and granular texture that makes it easy to incorporate into recipes. I love using it as a topping for tacos, salads, soups, grilled vegetables, and pasta, and to balance the heat in enchiladas, chilaquiles, and elote. I've seen the Mexican cotija vary in price, though it's usually about $4.50 for the whole wedge.

Thanks to my European heritage, I always enjoyed cheese fondue as a child, so I was really excited to see some at Trader Joe's. Dipping crusty pieces of bread into hot, bubbly, smooth, and creamy cheese brings back fond memories.

My friends and I enjoy hosting dinner parties, so Trader Joe's cheese fondue could be on the menu next time I have guests.

A pack of Trader Joe's cheese fondue is $6.

I love Trader Joe's almond butter because it's crunchy, creamy, has very simple ingredients, and tastes like warm, freshly roasted nuts. I love adding some to smoothies and breakfast bowls and swirling it into a bowl of yogurt for extra protein.

Trader Joe's crunchy almond butter can also serve as a plant-based alternative to traditional dairy-based spreads like butter or cream cheese, so it's a great option for guests with dietary restrictions.

Trader Joe's crunchy almond butter costs $7.

I always make a beeline for Trader Joe's condiments, spices, and seasonings. We eat a lot of spicy food in Barbados, so the selection of sauces at Trader Joe's keeps things interesting.

Trader Joe's chili-onion crunch is one of my favorites as it combines the bold and spicy flavor of chili peppers with delicious crispy toppings. This chili-onion crunch is versatile and can add a burst of flavor and texture drizzled over noodles, dumplings, rice, stir-fries, soups, and even pizza.

Trader Joe's chili-onion crunch is $4.50.

In Barbados, we add hot sauce to most things, and Trader Joe's peri-peri sauce is a favorite in my household. Peri-peri originates from South African and Portuguese cuisines and is made from peppers, sometimes called African bird's-eye chilis.

Trader Joe's peri-peri sauce has fruity and slightly tangy notes, so we often use it as a marinade for grilled meats, poultry, and seafood.

Trader Joe's peri-peri sauce is $3.50.

I also like to grab an assortment of seasonings I don't usually see back home in Barbados.

My husband loves pickles, so when I first saw Trader Joe's Seasoning in a Pickle blend, I had to give it a try. I don't share his affinity for pickles and pickled vegetables, but the tangy and salty seasoning tastes great on baked potatoes. I've also used the seasoning, which is $2.50, to enhance the taste of pickled vegetables.

I never understood the American obsession with ranch dressing until I bought a $3 bottle of Trader Joe's ranch seasoning blend. Its tangy, savory flavors are incredibly versatile and complement some of my go-to dishes. I love sprinkling this on pasta, using it as a seasoning for fish, and adding it to sour cream and cream cheese for an easy dip when I host.

Trader Joe's Everything but the Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend has become a cult favorite. I use it to whip up yummy dips when friends pop by for an impromptu visit, and I often sprinkle it on fresh avocado from our garden. I buy a few jars, so I have enough to last me a few months, and I think it should be renamed "It goes on everything and the bagel" blend.

I love our local Barbados coffee options, but we like to shake things up and try out new blends when we visit Trader Joe's.

Trader Joe's dark-roast coffee is a favorite, so we usually stock up on a few bags. I've also used this blend to make espresso martinis because the ​​100% arabica ground coffee creates a rich, full-bodied dark roast with a smooth aroma.

I picked up two 14-ounce bags of Trader Joe's 100% arabica dark-roast coffee for $8 each.

You can't really go wrong with truffles, and Trader Joe's aioli has the perfect mix of rich and bold flavors.

Trader Joe's truffle aioli has an earthy, umami-rich flavor that adds depth to the traditional garlicky sauce. I recommend adding a dollop to a burger with some sweet-potato fries.

I picked up a jar of Trader Joe's truffle aioli for $4.

Soffritto is a traditional Italian base for many dishes, typically made by sautéing finely chopped onions, carrots, and celery in olive oil. Trader Joe's Italian-style soffritto blend, made with onions, sun-dried tomatoes, red peppers, and herbs, is one of our favorite seasonings because it achieves a balanced flavor profile.

We use the soffrito blend as a flavor base for soups, stews, sauces, risotto, and pasta. Trader Joe's Italian-style soffritto seasoning blend is $3.30.

Dukkah is a condiment thought to come from Egypt that's made from a mixture of nuts, seeds, herbs, and spices. Trader Joe's dukkah mix is incredibly versatile and can be sprinkled over salads, roasted vegetables, or grilled meats to add flavor and texture.

It also serves as an excellent dip when combined with olive oil, creating a tasty accompaniment to bread or raw vegetables. Trader Joe's dukkah mix is $3.

I also picked up Trader Joe's delicious speculoos-cookie spread. Speculoos is a warm, spiced cookie similar to speculaas. I gifted this jar to my Dutch mom, who enjoys adding a dollop to vanilla ice cream.

The smooth and creamy texture melts in your mouth. This velvety consistency also makes it easy to spread on toast, pancakes, and waffles or simply enjoy straight from the jar.

I picked up Trader Joe's speculoos-cookie butter for $4.

The chocolate bars from Trader Joe's are a fun conversation piece when we bring them out at dinner parties. The individually packaged Trader Joe's dark-chocolate coffee-buzz bars have a deep, slightly bitter, and complex taste.

Trader Joe's bars strike the right balance between the bitterness of dark chocolate and coffee with a touch of sweetness. A pack of the dark-chocolate coffee-buzz bars costs $2.

Numerous Trader Joe's locations offer pop-up sampling booths to introduce customers to new products, which is always a fun experience.

I can't visit Trader Joe's without sampling something new. On this trip, a member of the Trader Joe's called Aimee was passing out some strawberries-and-cream gelato, which was delicious.

I couldn't bring any back with me in my suitcase, but I'll be picking some up next time I'm in the US.

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