If you want a reliable place to shop for groceries with unbeatable prices, you turn to Aldi. This German grocery chain has amassed a cult-like following due to its affordable prices and steady flow of fun seasonal items. And just when we thought we couldn’t love them anymore, here’s a fun fact: The founder of Aldi is the brother of the owner of Trader Joe’s, the two stores sharing a complicated, intertwined history.
As a European-owned company, many of Aldi’s products in the U.S. are imported from across the world, like frozen pizzas from Italy or chocolates from Germany. We’re particularly interested in the products you can find at Aldi from the Jewish world. We’ve tried them all, and have some strong opinions:
Bread
Bagels: Like most grocery store bagels, these are more bread than bagel-like, but we can’t deny that they’re convenient for an easy breakfast. Aldi’s bagel collection includes flavors like plain, everything and cinnamon-raisin. The store also carries varieties of gluten-free bagels and specialty flavors like maple French toast.
Seeded Rye Bread: Great for pastrami sandwiches.
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Marble Rye Bread: Because swirls are even more fun.
Everything Brioche Buns: This seasonal, buttery French bread gets the everything bagel seasoning treatment.
Dairy
Cottage cheese: This delicious dairy product, beloved by Ashkenazi Jews, is rapidly gaining popularity online due to its versatility and high protein content. Thankfully, Aldi is a reliable source for purchase.
Cream Cheese: Aldi carries all the grocery store classics, like plain, Neufchâtel and whipped. They also regularly stock strawberry and chive-and-onion cream cheese spreads, and will occasionally offer seasonal flavors like pumpkin spice.
Ashkenazi Classics
Who Needs the Bagel Seasoning: Aldi’s version of this versatile seasoning is a respectable replacement for the Trader Joe’s version, but contains more black sesame seeds, almost threatening the delicate ratio of the blend. Use it on avocado, eggs, vegetables or whatever your heart desires.
Egglife Everything Bagel Egg White Wraps: We can pretend that salt water on the seder plate is the tears of the enslaved Israelites, but we can’t pretend that a thin circle of egg white is bread — that would just cause more tears. But hey, they’re tasty to have with lox (along with a real wrap).
Everything Pita Crackers: Schmear a dab of cream cheese and a small piece of lox on these for an easy appetizer.
Pickles: While we have to shop elsewhere for the delicious, spicy Israeli pickles, Aldi offers a respectable variety of jarred pickles. Dill spears! Half sour! Baby whole! Almost all of Aldi’s pickles are kosher pickles. Try them all and even guzzle down the juice if you’re feeling wild — we won’t judge.
Cold Smoked Salmon: For items that are usually on the more expensive side, like lox, it’s especially worth it to make a trip to Aldi, where practically everything is cheaper than TJ’s or national grocery stores. We doubt you’ll find a better deal on smoked salmon than at Aldi and, don’t worry, the quality doesn’t suffer.
Cold Smoked Atlantic Salmon Everything Bagel Seasoning: This new specialty item combines two of our favorite Jewish foods: lox and everything bagel seasoning. It’s as if they made it just for us.
Snacks
Dill Pickle Flavored Potato Chips: This scrumptious find tastes like a cousin to salt and vinegar chips. We can’t promise that they won’t become a staple in your household once you try them. Like the other chips on this list, you might not always be able to find them in stores since they’re seasonal, so when you see them at your local Aldi, stock up!
Fried Pickle Ranch Flavored Wavy Potato Chips: Fried pickles with ranch seems quintessentially American but, alas, we can’t help but include everything pickle-flavored on this Jewish list.
Spicy Dill Pickle Wavy Potato Chips: These chips are salty, acidic and spicy all at once. Could you ask for anything better?
Everything Pretzel Thins: Best enjoyed with hummus.
Israeli and Middle Eastern Goodies
Hummus: Stores usually stock red pepper, pine nut and olive tapenade hummus flavors. Aldi also carries seasonal flavors like garlic-dill and caramelized onion hummus. They also have adorable mini hummus packs and a hummus party platter, which includes four flavors. We’re just waiting for the day that Aldi carries tahini, so we can make hummus from scratch.
Dessert Hummus: Aldi regulars rave about their dessert hummus flavors, which the chain frequently carries during the holiday season. Past varieties include carrot cake, sugar cookie and brownie batter hummus (our favorite to date).
Holiday Finds
Gelt: Look out for chocolate coins at Aldi as Hanukkah approaches.
8 Nights of Hanukkah Chocolate Calendar: Though the concept of a Hanukkah “advent” calendar is an oxymoron, that didn’t stop Aldi from introducing this item in 2022. Inside, you’ll find eight Belgian chocolates for each night of the holiday. We’ll leave it to you to decide if this concept is acceptable or not, or if the promise of chocolate makes that question irrelevant.
