Trader Joe’s Pork Shu Mai Pork Dumplings Review

Trader Joe's Pork Shu Mai

When we reviewed the Trader Joe’s Chicken Shu Mai, we admitted we were unimpressed. We thought those chicken-fulled dumplings were pretty bland, and that the stovetop cooking method didn’t do them any favors. So we’ve been a bit hesitant to try out the pork version of this frozen dish, fearing it would earn a “meh” at best from our review staff.

But we must let bygones be bygones. We can’t avoid reviewing something forever because we’re worried we might not like it — our readers deserve better than that. So today we’re finally checking out the Trader Joe’s Pork Shu Mai Pork Dumplings.

As we mentioned earlier, we didn’t like how the stovetop cooking method worked out for the chicken version of this dish. Thankfully, there are no stovetop instructions listed on the box for this one, just microwave and steamer. We took this as an opportunity to see how these turn out in the microwave. (To see the full cooking instructions, check out the package scans at the bottom of this review.)

Trader Joe's Pork Shu Mai

These don’t look like much at a glance — just pork meatballs wrapped in thin dumpling shells — but looks can be deceiving. While we wouldn’t say these are powerhouses of flavor, they are quite a bit richer and tastier than the chicken version. We don’t see ginger listed in the ingredients, though the box does claim this contains “sugar and spices.” We can’t help but wonder if ginger is one of those pieces, because the pork filling has a lovely sweet ginger flavor to it.

The chicken version of these dumplings includes a packet of soy sauce, but the pork version does not (though soy sauce is an ingredient here). We added some of our own as an experiment, and the natural flavor of the filling was enhanced with just a dab of soy. It really brought out that “sweet ginger” flavor we mentioned earlier. We think these are definitely better with the sauce.

According to the box, a serving is about five pieces, and there should be two servings per box (for a total of ten pieces — our box contained nine). If you stick with the recommended serving size, you’ll be gulping down 290 calories (150 from fat) and 350 mg of sodium. That means a full box of ten will run you 580 calories (300 from fat) and 700 mg of sodium (our box had nine dumplings, which lowers those figures just a tad). Keep in mind that these are intended to be an appetizer, not a full meal, which means these numbers are a lot higher than we’d like them to be.

The Trader Joe’s Pork Shu Mai Pork Dumplings are much better than their chicken-filled counterparts, but we still recommend having just a bit of soy sauce on hand if you decide to eat these. While you can certainly enjoy these plain, a little soy sauce brings some of the subtler flavors to the surface, leading to a pretty tasty appetizer.

To learn more about the nutrition content, ingredients, or cooking instructions for this Trader Joe’s frozen food, check out our package scans below.

Trader Joe's Pork Shu Mai
Trader Joe's Pork Shu Mai
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