“Trader Joe’s Chile Spiced Mango”Ingredients: Mango, Paprika, Sugar, Salt, Citric Acid, Cayenne.

I’ve got to give Trader Joe’s a nice round of applause. They are one of the few “main stream” grocery stores that are integrating quality pepper products into their stores. From their Hot Sauce to their Chipotle Salsa, they actually have great flavor and heat. Unlike companies like Doritos that bring out a product that is no where near hot, Trader Joe’s is bringing out products designed with us chili-heads in mind.

I was in the check outline when I spotted their Chile Spiced Mango in a display basket. Their impulse buy strategy worked wonders on me. I love Mangos, I love cayennes, and as an added bonus, no sulfites! SO into my basket they went. I got home, opened it up and tried one…and only one.

Simply put, this is god awful. Sorry TJ’s, it’s true. They are completely covered in sugar, large, rock salt sized chunks of sugar. Why would anyone put any sugar, let alone this much sugar, on slices of Mango? Mango is sweet enough as it is, it doesn’t need Trader Joe’s help with being even more sweet!

Oh, and the paprika makes things worse. For some odd reason, it adds the taste of wood. Yes, you read that right, wood. I don’t know why, but it feels like I’m licking someone’s backyard deck. The paprika also gives this product a horrible after taste that lingers far too long in ones mouth.

Now the cayenne isn’t too bad. I definitely recognizes the sharp bite that this particular pepper gives but there’s one problem with it…there isn’t enough. It’s almost as if, during production, they used up all the room on the Mango with the sugar and paprika that they couldn’t fit the cayenne on it. So they just sprinkled it on hoping some would stick to the sugar and no one would notice. Well, I’m onto you little scheme Trader Joe’s and I think it’s a mean joke on potential new chili-heads that are trying hot for the first time.

Props to Trader Joe’s for attempting to make a new hot product to offer. They’ve done quite well up until now. I really hope this product represents a small lapse in their Market Research’s judgment. Only time will tell…

I’m giving this a -2 because it’s one step below Frank’s Red Hot. For the heat, I would rate it as a 1.6