The Best New Groceries to Hit Shelves This October (So Far)
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October is one of my favorite months because it’s finally, truly fall. I love witnessing the transitioning hues of orange, yellow, and red on the treelines and seeing Halloween decorations spring up — stringy spider webs and towering skeletons and pumpkins carved with smirking faces. That, and scouring the grocery aisles for new treats.
October is the month to finally go full steam ahead with autumnal produce (exhibit A: this meltingly tender cabbage), and also start thinking about the upcoming holidays. Speaking of fresh starts, I sampled more than a dozen of new groceries hitting shelves throughout the month. Among the list of latest must-haves, you’ll find buttery cookies, an apple-flavored soda, spicy tinned mussels, and more. These are the surprising delights I suggest you seek out during your next grocery shop.
Credit: Kat Thompson
1. La Monarca Cafe Mexican Wedding Cookies
For a blissful melt-in-your-mouth bite, pick up a pack of these Mexican wedding cookies developed by Los Angeles-based La Monarca Cafe. Each cookie is coated in powdered sugar and has a crumbly texture that dissolves on the tongue with plenty of buttery flavor. For an ideal pairing, pick up a bag of La Monarca’s cafe de olla coffee; the sweet and bitter notes of the coffee are perfect for washing down the cookies.
Buy: La Monarca Cafe Mexican Wedding Cookies, $5.99 for 6 ounces at World Market and Costco
Credit: Kat Thompson
2. Olipop Crisp Apple Soda
The can design of Olipop’s returning fall flavor, crisp apple, has the coziest vibe. It makes me want to sit inside on a rainy day and read a book by a fireplace. Not only that, but the sparkling prebiotic soda inside is also true to its name and boasts a crisp and sweet-but-not-too-sweet apple flavor. It’s a grown-up version of the sparkling apple cider provided for the kids at every holiday meal — plus, each can has a whole nine grams of fiber (32% of daily value).
Buy: Olipop Crisp Apple Soda, $35.99 for 12 (12-ounce) cans at Amazon; also available at Sprouts, Whole Foods, Target, and Walmart
Credit: Kat Thompson
4. A-Sha Spicy Beef Pho Rice Noodle Soup
Will this cup of instant pho taste better than your favorite Vietnamese neighborhood spot? No. Is it extremely easy to make and a satisfying snack? Yes. Each cup, designed in collaboration with Sanrio, comes with a pouch of dehydrated carrots and green onions and a dark red soup base that definitely has a kick. It doesn’t really taste like pho; there aren’t the warming spices and clear, simple broth that the beloved soup possesses, but it is nice to have an instant noodle alternative that carries rice noodles instead of fried ramen noodles. Just make sure not to overcook the rice noodles, which rehydrate faster than other standard instant noodles.
Find it in stores: A-sha Spicy Beef Pho Rice Noodle Soup, $22.49 for 6 (2-ounce) packs at Target, Costco, and H-Mart
Credit: Kat Thompson
5. Patagonia Provisions Spicy Mussels
The tinned fish craze hasn’t slowed down and I’m perfectly fine with that because the options keep getting better and better. Take these spicy mussels from Patagonia Provisions, for example: They’re briny, meaty, and tangy with an undercurrent of heat, thanks to cayenne pepper in every bite. The mussels hail from Spain and Portugal and are sourced from family-owned farms. Make sure to have a side of crusty bread to soak up the broth, olive oil, and chunks of red bell peppers in each tin.
Buy: Patagonia Provisions Spicy Mussels, $8 for 4.2 ounces at Patagonia Provisions
