- Trader Joe's just released one of their newest products, Chocolate Lava Gnocchi.
- Described as "sweet chocolate gnocchi with a molten chocolate core," the new product is causing quite the stir online.
- While many fans of the popular grocery brand are anxious to try out the sweet take on the otherwise savory pasta alternative, others were shocked and horrified by the thought of combining potato and chocolate.
- "This was originally designed to be dessert, but I think that there are some people who might make a dinner out of it," Trader Joe's VP of product innovation, Lori Latta, said on the store's podcast.
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Move over cauliflower gnocchi - there's new gnocchi on the Trader Joe's shelf.
Trader Joe's just released a new product that's already making waves: Chocolate Lava Gnocchi. Described as "sweet chocolate gnocchi with a molten chocolate core," the small balls of chocolate do indeed contain potato puree, creating a divide among fans of the grocery store chain.
While it may seem strange to combine the savory flavors of potato with sweet, molten chocolate and hazelnut, many of TJ's most devoted followers are already anxious to get their hands on the divisive new item.
"If you're a texture type of person, you may find them a little strange. However, I thought they tasted just like moist, soft chocolate cake balls with gooey goodness inside," said one online commenter on Reddit.
Other commenters found the hybrid food disgusting and wished they could "un-know" the fact that the item even exists.
Inspiration for the unique dessert dish struck while Trader Joe's VP of product innovation, Lori Latta, was shopping at Harrod's department store in London, she said on Trader Joe's podcast, Inside Trader Joe's. Upon spying the store's chocolate gnocchi, she asked Trader Joe's own gnocchi supplier if they could make something similar.
"This was originally designed to be dessert, but I think that there are some people who might make a dinner out of it," she said. "They're really easy to prepare because you just put them in a sauté pan with a little bit of ghee or butter and brown them. I think it takes no more than the cauliflower gnocchi, so six to seven minutes."
While the verdict may be out on whether potato gnocchi filled with melted chocolate qualifies as a dinner, rather than a dessert, we can't say we aren't intrigued.
Trader Joe's Chocolate Lava Gnocchi cost $2.99 per bag and have 300 calories in every one-cup serving.