Fans Choose the Best and Worst Grocery Items of 2022—And Both Can Be Found at Trader Joe's
Comedy writer Bill Oakley is perhaps best known for his work on the long-running animated TV series The Simpsons. He's also become a rising star on Instagram lately for his frequent reviews of fast food and grocery items.
Building upon his growing social media following, Oakley created an online club for fellow food enthusiasts called the Steamed Hams Society, named after one of his most popular Simpsons episodes. The club recently announced the winners and losers of its annual food awards, "The Steamies."
Fans of Trader Joe's will be both pleased and dismayed by the results in the groceries category.
On the plus side, Trader Joe's Cheeseburger Burrito took top honors as "Grocery Item Of The Year," beating out runners-up Gardein's Ultimate Falafel Burger and Nissin's Cup Noodles Stir Fry Korean BBQ. The 8-ounce flour tortilla wrap comes stuffed with crumbled beef, cheddar cheese, chopped tomato and onion, dressed with ketchup, mustard and pickle relish.
Meanwhile, TJ's also earned the dubious distinction of "Grocery Disappointment of the Year" for its Shrimp Seafood Burger, a blend of pollock and shrimp held together with rice flour and sunflower oil. Other ignominious foodstuffs earning dishonorable mention included CinnaFuego Toast Crunch Sweet and Spicy Breakfast Cereal Snack, Coca-Cola Dreamworld, and Budweiser Beer Battered Pickles.
The rest of the club's supermarket superlatives for 2022 include:
"Frozen Pizza Of The Year": Newman's Own Quattro Formaggi Stone-Fired Crust
"Domestic Potato Chip Of The Year": Middleswarth Hand-Cooked BBQ Kettle Chips
"Domestic Non-Potato Chip Snack of the Year": Pepperidge Farm Old Bay Goldfish Crackers
"International Non-Potato Chip Snack of the Year": Alba Lisa Artisan Tortilla Chips
"Condiment Of The Year": Henderson's Relish
"Freak Show Of The Year": Heinz Dip & Crunch
