The Umami-Packed Trader Joe's Seasoning That Great For Potatoes

Trader Joe's fans know that a trip down the experimental seasoning aisle can be all it takes to transform your tried and true recipe rotation with bold new flavors. Today, we're zeroing in on the Trader Joe's seasoning that's perfect for sprucing up your go-to potato recipes. Spud lovers, this one's for you.

Introducing: The Mushroom & Company Multipurpose Umami Seasoning Blend. These little jars are packed with bold mushroom flavor. As the Trader Joe's website describes, "Taken from Japanese, the word [umami] translates to 'pleasant savory taste,' and really, it's just that." It's high praise, but this umami bomb totally lives up to the hype. As we echoed in our review, "We're a bit weary of condiments claiming to elevate umami, as they can often taste artificial or overpowering, but this mushroom mix has magic (but no, not that kind of mushroom)." The Mushroom & Company Multipurpose Umami Seasoning Blend came in fifth in Tasting Table's ranking of 18 Trader Joe's seasoning blends.

In addition to the strong porcini and white mushroom flavor, this seasoning blend is fairly salty, making the job of seasoning any potato-based dish extra easy for home cooks (just take care not to overdo it with extra salt). Thanks to both its flavor profile and fine-grain texture, we think this superstar ingredient performs super well on starchy potato-centric dishes. The savory depth of this seasoning could be especially welcome for vegan foodies who might not be pairing their potatoes with a meat element.

"To create this Umami Seasoning Blend," explains the Trader Joe's website, "we began with kosher salt, and used a flavor base of porcini and white button mushrooms — earthy mushroom flavor really is the cornerstone of umami, which is why we named it Mushroom & Company." The blend also includes onion, mustard seed, thyme, and red and black pepper — ideal for bringing savory depth to potatoes at $2.99 per 2.1-ounce jar.

A sprinkle of this mushroom seasoning would make a flavorful finisher over potato wedges, twice-baked potatoes, and homemade fries — the trio we ranked as our top three all-time favorite potato dishes. For a knockout side dish, season your potato wedges with salt, vinegar, and a generous dash of the mushroom seasoning blend. Or, for a two-step snack designed to please, you could shake down plain fries with this dimensional seasoning before popping 'em in the air fryer to cook. Try mixing it into a batch of garlic mashed potatoes, or stir it into whipped chive cream cheese to top your next baked potato. At the breakfast table, a few shakes of this mushroom seasoning would upgrade your breakfast potatoes to new savory heights. 

The Mushroom & Company Multipurpose Umami Seasoning Blend also pairs well with other flavorful seasoning blends. We recommend smoked paprika, dried rosemary, lemon pepper, Old Bay seasoning, or Bell's poultry seasoning to bring complementary contrast and dimensionality to this powerhouse powder.