I have written several posts about the Passover food at Costco in the past and have joked that Costco basically caters my family’s holiday. Each year Costco carries specialty Passover items, including main dishes (Although I have not reviewed them for the blog, I have enjoyed the Meal Mart brisket and pot roast meals in the past…but my mom’s brisket is definitely better!), side dishes (e.g., Product Review x3: Meal Mart Passover kugels; Product Review: Classic Cooking potato kugel; Product Review: Classic Cooking: apple matzah kugel; Product Review: Classic Cooking broccoli soufflé), and desserts (e.g., Product Review: World of Chantilly Passover 7-layer cake; Product Review: Schick’s Passover 7-layer cake).
In addition, some of the items they always (or almost always) carry have special kosher for Passover certification (e.g., Product Review: Golden Taste Tuna Deluxe; Product Review: Bluehill Bay Smoked Whitefish Salad; Product Review:Kirkland Signature Smoked Salmon).
I have seen postings about which Passover foods people have found at Costco stores across the country. It appears that this has not been the best year for Costco’s Passover selection and/or that some of the items are coming in later than expected (e.g., Boston-area stores only got the kugels and cakes within the past week, leaving many people afraid that they would not be getting them at all).
The selections are different in different locations–probably because these companies cannot make enough to supply all of the Costcos. Whereas some locations are getting the World of Chantilly cakes (including the Boston-area stores), others have Schicks. Some locations have Meal Mart kugels, whereas others have Golden Taste (Boston locations have the latter). Apparently, Classic Cooking is not making Passover kugels this year, which is disappointing because they were much better than the Meal Mart products. I don’t remember ever having (or even seeing) Golden Taste kugels, but I like their other products so hopefully they will be good too.
Other disappointing changes over the past few years are that Costco no longer sells the huge cans of the huge gefilte fish that tasted better than most other varieties (I know, I know, gefilte fish is about the most unappealing looking product ever but if you ignore that (no small task, I get it). Now they sell smaller jars. In addition, the Breakstone’s Cottage cheese (Product review: Breakstone’s cottage cheese) used to have kosher for Passover certification. However, the past few years, the large cartons were not specially certified. I have always enjoyed cottage cheese with bananas or cantaloupe as a break from the dense, matzah-based foods, so it is disappointing that the huge containers are no longer certified. I have also seen people complaining that the pistachios do not have special certification this year (I remember those being one of my Passover staples in college…but I ate way too many and then did not want pistacios for at least a year!)
I have heard that different locations are also carrying matzah, Shmura matzah, prepared entrees (including stuffed cabbage), macaroons, and some other cookies and candies.
What do you think of this year’s selection? Anything you really miss?
What are your favorite (I know “favorite” is a relative term during Passover!) Passover foods?
Cruising Costco 