Salmonesque is spreading all over the internet. When it arrived at our neighborhood Trader Joe’s, I had to take a dip!

I was unsure of how I would feel about Trader Joe’s Vegan Salmonesque Spread, as I’ve never tasted salmon. I went veg in my younger years, so many plant-based alternatives are popping up now that I get to try for the very first time. Salmon-inspired cream cheese spread is one of those things. You won’t get a 1:1 review on whether this spread actually tastes like salmon, because I have no idea. What you will find is a pretty thorough taste summary, so you can decide if this is something you will want to add to cart on your next TJ’s excursion.

Trader Joe’s Vegan Salmonesque Spread is tangy, salty, and creamy. I tasted the spread both on its own and smeared on a bagel. I found it to be thinner than traditional vegan cream cheese, but not at all runny. The texture is smooth, aside from the intentional bits of vegan salmon. The spread is very light pink in shade (yay!) and is sprinkled with faux salmon bits, dill, and capers. The capers bring a salty brininess to the spread, while the dill provides an earthy balance, with bright and tangy lemon throughout. Most impressive is the vegan salmon made from konjac root. It’s chewy and salty, with an unmistakable smokiness.

For some reason, people keep referring to this as a “dip” but I am unclear on why. I do not personally see myself using this as dip vs schmear, but I could see others enjoying it on celery sticks or cucumber coin appetizers. I found this spread to be super tasty and can see myself purchasing again in the future as an alternative to TJ’s traditional vegan and dairy-free cream cheese.

Is the Trader Joe’s Vegan Salmonesque Spread something you would try?

Trader Joe’s Location: 3250 Dale Road Modesto, CA 95356 

TraderJoes.com