Here’s why 2019 is the year of Trader Joe’s

Trader Joe’s is setting up to be the year’s “it” grocery store, once again.

According to Refinery29, the California-based grocery chain is kicking off the new year by announcing its first new product of 2019, and fittingly, it involves one of the year's predicted food trends, jackfruit.

According to Trader Joe's official announcement of what it has dubbed, Jackfruit Cakes, they're meant to be served like a crab cake. These savory little patties are made by mixing dried and shredded jackfruit with tapioca starch, potato, chopped green onions, and "peppery, celery-salt-infused seasoning."

Jackfruit has been working its way up as a popular meat substitute among vegans and vegetarians in recent years, so the introduction of a product that uses the fruit as a shellfish alternative makes sense. The introduction also couldn't be moretimely as the new year has many people, including Beyoncé, Jay-Z, and Gordon Ramsay, giving veganism a try, according to Refinery29.

To read the full Refinery29 article, click here.