The 10 Best Trader Joe's Lunar New Year Groceries, According to Asian-American Chefs

Lunar New Year 2024 starts on February 10th, and if you’re planning to celebrate, you’ll want to stock your fridge and pantry with plenty of goodies. The holiday is traditionally celebrated with bountiful feasts, and many traditional foods on Lunar New Year menus across many Asian cultures are associated with good fortune for the coming year. At many celebrations, you’ll find handmade dumplings, crispy spring rolls, tang yuan and super-long longevity noodles (the length of the noodles symbolizes a long life).

Related: 100 Chinese New Year Wishes & Lunar Greetings 2024

If you’re making a grocery list for a Lunar New Year celebration, you might be surprised to know Trader Joe's is well-stocked with plenty of affordable celebration-worthy items. I spoke with Asian-American chefs and recipe developers and scoured Reddit forums to find the best Trader Joe’s items to celebrate Lunar New Year.

Best Asian-Inspired Trader Joe's Groceries for Lunar New Year

1. Sumo Citrus

Though the exact date of Lunar New Year changes from year to year, the holiday always falls during the winter, when citrus is in season. It’s common to give clementines, mandarins and other citrus fruits as a gift to symbolize prosperity. They’re also used as decorations for the holiday.

“Growing up, my mom always had a huge bowl of clementines in our kitchen,” says Mai Nguyen, Executive Pastry Chef at COJE Management Group in Boston. “So, for Lunar New Year I like to get fresh sumo mandarins for the house because it is also believed that oranges bring good luck, prosperity and wealth. The Chinese words for orange and tangerine resemble the words wealth and luck and the gold color symbolizes prosperity.”

Trader Joe's (and some other grocery stores) carry Sumo brand citrus, which are a variety of giant mandarin that's sweet, juicy, seedless and incredibly easy to peel. They're also fairly inexpensive, which makes them a nice gift for your host or a Lunar New Year treat for yourself.

Related: What the Heck Is a Sumo Citrus and How Do You Eat It?

2. Frozen Japchae Korean Glass Noodles & Vegetable Stir Fry

“Japchae is a traditional Korean dish commonly served during special occasions like Lunar New Year,” says food blogger and recipe developer Jessica Chan. “Trader Joe's Japchae is a favorite for the Lunar New Year primarily for its authentic taste and convenience."

You can also make this frozen entrée your own for the holiday. “For example, if you wanted to make it heartier, you could add traditional ingredients like thinly sliced marinated beef or wood ear mushrooms,” says Chan. “The genuine flavors and ease of customization make Trader Joe's Japchae a fantastic choice for Lunar New Year.”

Related: 21 Easy Stir Fry Recipes

3. Steamed Pork & Ginger Soup Dumplings

Dumplings of all shapes, sizes and flavors are popular on holiday tables during Lunar New Year in China. If you don’t have the patience to fill and shape your own, these dumplings from the freezer aisle at are juicy and always crowd-pleasers.

Take it from Jing Gao, founder of Fly By Jing, who says, “Don’t sleep on Trader Joe’s frozen dumplings! I always keep a few packets of frozen steamed pork and ginger dumplings on hand.” Of course, Gao serves her dumplings with her Sweet & Spicy Zhong Sauce. “Whether I’m serving them at a Lunar New Year meal or heating them up for a quick and easy meal, these soup dumplings are perfect on cold nights and celebratory gatherings with friends.”

Related: The Easy Frozen Costco Dinner That’s Selling Out Instantly

4. Cheese Board Supplies

Every party needs a few apps to tide guests over before the feast, and Nguyen hits up the cheese and charcuterie section at Trader Joe’s when she’s hosting a Lunar New Year’s party. “I like to celebrate with a cheese board using Trader Joe's Truffle Mousse Chicken Liver Pâté, St. Andre Triple Cream Brie, Gouda Cheese, Chevre Goat Cheese, Soft and Juicy Dried Mangos, Multi Floral And Clover Honey, almonds, Pita Bite Crackers and Sweet And Salty Umami Crunchies Rice Crackers.”

Related: 10+ Epic Charcuterie Boards That Will Up Your Hosting Game Immediately

5. Crispy Crunchy Mochi Rice Nuggets

These little mochi pillows are a favorite amongst Trader Joe's fans on Reddit. They make a crunchy addition to a cheese board, or a great portable snack if you’re traveling for the holiday. Says one Reddit fan: "[It] starts off with a SUPER crunchy bite and finishes as a munchy, salty, melt in your mouth deliciousness." Enough said!

Related: 35 Best Trader Joe's Snacks For Mid-Day Munchies

6. Sliced Korean Rice Cakes

“These sliced rice cakes are essential for making Tteok Guk (Korean Rice Cake Soup), which is eaten by Koreans during Lunar New Year celebration time,” says Remy Park, author of the newly released cookbook Sesame, Soy, Spice. She explains that “the white rice cakes symbolize purity and starting the new year with a clean slate and good fortune. The rice cake shape also symbolizes coins and prosperity.”

One Reddit user agrees with Park and recommends adding these quick-cooking cakes to TJ’s Garlicky Cabbage Stir Fry for an easy holiday dish.

Related: 10 Traditional New Year's Day Foods for Good Luck in 2024

7. Mochi Ice Cream

Trader Joe’s has a range of ice cream mochi in the freezer aisle with flavors that include fruit, green tea, ube, and chocolate. Pick up an assortment and have Lunar New Year dessert taken care of!

Related: 32 Best Ice Cream Flavors, Ranked

8. Squiggly Knife Cut Noodles

According to Park, “In Chinese culture, eating noodles during the new year is customary. Long noodles symbolize a long life and prosperity and it's important that you don't cut them, as you will be symbolically cutting your "life" short!”

You can serve these Trader Joe’s noodles in soup or in a dry stir-fry with added veggies, seafood, meat, or tofu.

Related: Here's How Momofuku Chef David Chang Upgrades His Noodle Toppings at Home

9. Korean Sweet Cinnamon Pancakes

With fluffy dough and a spiced, syrupy filling, the Korean Sweet Cinnamon Pancakes (called hotteok in Korean) are a smash hit of the Trader Joe's frozen aisle. Parade's associate food editor, Justine Lee, always grabs multiple bags when she spots them at her local TJ's and calls them "the perfect treat to enjoy in order to beat the cold and to celebrate the Lunar New Year." She likes to cook the pancakes in the air fryer which creates a crispy exterior and gooey, molten filling.

10. Scallion Pancakes

Many Reddit users agree that Trader Joe’s scallion pancakes are a must for Lunar New Year celebrations and claim the pancakes are "very satisfying to cook." Your heat the scallion pancakes in a skillet or stick them in the air fryer, where they'll crisp up with very little effort on your part. Serve with a simple dipping sauce made with soy sauce and chili crisp.

Up next: The Beloved French Pastry You Can Make at Home With a Box of Frozen Dough