Trader Joe's Newest Dessert Is Actually Super Refreshing — In Both Literal *And* Figurative Ways
As a Filipina American, I never thought I'd see the day when an American brand came out with a Philippine-inspired food item that has nothing to do with ube, but thanks to Trader Joe's, we're here! Oh yes! Trader Joe's released a limited-edition vegan Calamansi & Mango Sorbet in February at $3.79 a pint, and I've been pining for it ever since the news reached my ears.
Don't get me wrong, I'm an ube girl for life, but seeing calamansi being used as a main ingredient was so refreshing. Ube (a purple yam native to the Philippines) has become a super-trendy flavor/ingredient over the years, and places like Trader Joe's definitely capitalized on it.
Can I just trauma-dump for a second and recall how one time, during a high school potluck, I brought pancit (a Filipino rice noodle dish) to class, and some boy was like, "Ooh! Chow mein!"
Since 2019, the grocery chain has released multiple ube products like ice cream, pancake and waffle mix, tea cookies, pretzels, and, most recently, ube spread. I've never tried any of the ube products from TJ's, but I always see them when I go shopping. And while it's nice to see my culture being represented and loved, I won't lie and say that the appropriation of Filipino food isn't frustrating.
When I was growing up, it was always considered "normal" to go out and eat Chinese, Japanese, Thai, or Indian food, but none of my non-Filipino friends knew what Filipino food was — nor were they interested in trying it. I've always questioned why Filipino dishes have struggled to enter mainstream American culture, especially since there are approximately 4.4 million Filipinos living in the US. I mean, think about how prevalent Japanese cuisine has become here in the States — then think about the fact that there are nearly three times as many Filipinos living here as there are Japanese people.
And frustratingly, when we do see Filipino foods pop up in American culture these days, the messaging often feels problematically mixed: While ube has become a majorly trendy flavor in the US (and Trader Joe's!) over the past few years, let's not forget when eating balut, a fertilized duck egg, became a disappointing TikTok challenge where thousands expressed their "disgust" over a cultural Filipino dish.
Basically, to a Filipina American, it feels like our food is only acknowledged when it's attached to a trend. And though representation in and of itself is important in any way, shape, or form, it still feels so "othered" in American food culture.
All that said, though Trader Joe's is guilty of joining the "everything ube" trend, featuring calamansi in a product is a big breath of fresh air, especially since calamansi is a staple in Filipino cuisine.
If you're unfamiliar with what calamansi is, it's a small citrus fruit that's native to the Philippines. A hybrid between a kumquat and a mandarin orange, calamansi is similar to a lime or lemon. The difference is that calamansi has a tart, slightly sweet flavor to it with a floral aroma. Calamansi can be used in marinades, but the fruit is often squeezed over already cooked foods to brighten up and enhance the flavors. I personally love squeezing calamansi on top of my pancit, as well as over a sizzling plate of sisig (a chopped pork dish). In Asian grocery stores, you can even find calamansi juice!
I've never seen calamansi ice cream or sorbet before, so I was super excited to try it — especially since the TJ's sorbet also includes mango, the national fruit of the Philippines itself! Made with calamansi puree and mango puree, this sorbet is vegan and is described as "tropical, citrusy, sweet, and refreshing."
Here's me posing with the sorbet and a spoon:
Anytime I get to eat dessert is a good day.
Here's the cute little blurb shouting out the Philippines ????:
It says, "We've paired lime-like Calamansi from the Philippines with sweet, tropical mango for a refreshing frozen treat!"
And here's what the sorbet looks like freshly opened:
Icy and gorg! (Is it supposed to be that icy?)
I don't eat sorbet enough to know what the texture is supposed to be like, but it looked and smelled delicious. I was especially curious to see if it would be heavier on the mango side, considering that mango is the sweeter fruit of the two. I wanted to see if TJ's would lean into the calamansi flavor, especially since it's an ingredient I rarely see used in American brands.
Here's my first bite:
Okay, come through, calamansi!
As you can see from the expression on my face, I was NOT expecting the calamansi to take center stage like that. You get the sour before the tart, and then finally the sweetness settles in, but very delicately.
I had just finished doing a grilled cheese taste test, so having this sorbet right after was truly so refreshing and punchy that it seemed to wipe away any lingering traces of the grilled cheese.
The mango flavor is subtly there, but I love how TJ's didn't push for it to be the dominating factor in the sorbet and allowed for the zestiness of the calamansi to really shine through and be the star.
As for the texture, the sorbet was giving "ice princess" when I first took her out of the freezer, but after I let it sit at room temperature for a couple of minutes, it became somewhat smooth and creamy! Not as creamy as ice cream, obviously, but it softened up for sure.
Honestly, I actually think the sorbet could benefit from just a little more mango! Like, imagine if they put little mango pieces in there? That would've been pure bliss.
All in all, I really liked TJ's Calamansi & Mango Sorbet! As promised on the packaging, it certainly checked off the tropical, refreshing, sweet, and citrusy boxes for me. I was blown away by how yummy the calamansi flavor was, and if you love citrus desserts, this sorbet is just up your alley. As I mentioned before, I've never seen calamansi used in ice cream or sorbet before, so this was a new and pleasant treat for me as well!
Keep in mind that this sorbet is a seasonal item, so if you wanna try it (and I hope you do), get it before it's all gone!
If you do end up trying calamansi, or if you love ube and lumpia (spring rolls), don't stop there! There's a lot of Filipino food and culture to explore. As I touched on earlier, I love trying a trendy food item as much as the next person, but it's important to be mindful and to respect the culture at the same time.
Have you tried Filipino food before? If so, what's your favorite dish? Would you try this calamansi-and-mango sorbet? Let me know in the comments!
