Trader Joe's Fans Are Freaking Out Over Its Returning Ube Pancake Mix
Don't call it a comeback. Trader Joe's is rolling out its Ube Mochi Pancake & Waffle Mix for a second run — and for $3.99 a box, it can make its way home to your breakfast table. This week, Instagram fan page Trader Joe's List posted a photo revealing the pancake mix on store shelves, and TJ's is already expecting it to be a hot commodity. Prominently affixed to the front of the display is a sign that reads "2 per customer" –- but, according to the post, the limit varies per store.
Folks are going wild for ube, but for many loyal TJ's fans, it might not be as familiar a flavor as Everything but the Bagel Seasoning or some of the other popular products at Trader Joe's. Trader Joe's List describes ube flavor as a nuttier version of white chocolate or vanilla; TJ's itself describes it as "almost-coconutty."
Per EatingWell, ube is a purple yam typically found in Southeast Asia. It's a bit like a red yam, but drier in flavor and with a distinctly pigmented light purple color. It's also similar to purple taro — a popular ingredient also from Southeast Asia that's lavender in color and used in a variety of sweet dishes — but taro comes from the root of a taro plant, and isn't part of the yam family at all, via Healthline.
Purple is the new black
To make your own purple ube pancakes, Trader Joe's says customers just need to add butter, water, and eggs to the mix and pop 'em in the skillet. This ube mix features a sweet rice flour base, which not only makes it gluten free, but also emulates the texture and chewy mouthfeel of real mochi.
"I hope the ube mochi comes back!" writes one commenter. Similar ube-related requests are pouring in from the comments section of the post; customers are asking TJ's to bring back its entire retired ube oeuvre, from ice cream to purple-hued pretzels. Another ube fan comments that they called their store to reserve a box of the pancake and waffle mix, and was told that the store had already sold 54 boxes the day before. To cater to this wave of new and returning ube fans, TJ's is also bringing back its Ube Tea Cookies made with the purple yam and shortbread, also available as a limited release. Customers will have to wait and see whether the rest of the ube repertoire returns to shelves.