A new item at Trader Joe’s. And it looks like they might have finally cracked the code on their fast molding bread by freezing it. Introducing Baladi, Egyptian flatbread. You get five in a pack. At first glance, it’s giving mid-tier pa, but once I air fried it and sliced it open, it’s not looking too shabby. The insides fluff up beautifully and has a great solid pocket for stuffing hummus, tabule, vegan meat, cabbage, pickles, tahini, and vegan taziki. Flavor-wise, don’t expect sourdough levels of depth. It’s not super bold or tangy, but the texture is surprisingly good. Is it amazing? No. Is it better than Trader Joe’s usual fresh bread options? Probably. This is definitely worth keeping in your freezer for an easy lunch wrap situation. I give it a 7 out of 10.

24 Comments

  1. My friend, you have stumbled into the delicious world of Egyptian breakfast.
    First: if you slice the loaf in half, you will waste less bread.
    Second: the bread is stretchy & hearty because it can be used for ghmous (which is like dipping, but you scoop more}
    Third: the typical Egyptian breakfast has fool (mashed fava beans seasoned with cumin, chili, tahini paste & lemon juice), falafel, some fries (yes, french fries), & a baladi salad. You can dip while mixing & matching flavors, or you can make a sandwich with a main (foul, falafel, fries), salad (optional), & tahini. It is also typically served with pickles 😁
    Fourth: you can heat the bread in a microwave, toaster, or even on the eye of the stove (electric or gas) by waving it above the heat briefly. This last option makes it toasty & a little smoky.

    Fun fact: Most Egyptian breakfast is vegan or vegetarian because meat's expensive, yo!

  2. Since you found this type of bread, you can now make Hawawshi at home. Wow, one of the most delicious Egyptian street foods!

  3. I give it 10/10.. Even Egyptian bread has a history older than entire countries that didn't exist on the map.. I love Egypt❤🇪🇬

  4. This is only one kind of Egyptian bread. There are many kinds of ancient Egyptian bread mostly made in small villages. You should try the Egyptian Sun Bread.

  5. Didn't expect to see Egyptian bread on here. Balady bread is absolutely top tier for me, one of my favourites growing up. The way I've always heated it up was on an open flame. You put it on and frequently flip it around to get every little bit until you're left with some minor char marks and a very tasty loaf. Have that with some foul medammes (mashed fava beans) and you've got an amazing breakfast