It was so packed that as soon as I walked in the door, I found myself at the end of a checkout line that wrapped around the entire rim of the store.

This is the daily scene at the Trader Joe’s in New York City’s Union Square, where eco-friendly consumers go to do their guiltless shopping. But this isn’t your average grocer. This isn’t even your average organic grocer.

The name of the company refers to its founder Joe Coulombe, or for our convenience, Trader Joe. He opened a small chain of convenience stores outside of Los Angeles in 1958 and he later switched to the grocer model in 1967 with his first Trader Joe’s. From that starting point, the expansion has been steady.

Trader Joe’s doesn’t pack its shelves with Chips Ahoy (KFT) and Coca-Cola (KO). Its cereal aisle doesn’t feature Lucky Charms (GIS) and Sugar Smacks (K). For those unfamiliar with this chain, the overwhelming majority of its offerings are its own quirky brands.

I like to think that Trader Joe was tired of selling Americans the foods they're so used to eating every day, so he traveled the globe and picked up some tips and tastes along the way.

Look carefully when you browse Trader Joe’s fare and you’ll see the fruits of these hypothetical pilgrimages. You may want to taste some of Trader Jose’s Salsa Verde with its frozen taquitos. Maybe you’ve got a hankering for a slice of Trader Giotto’s Four Cheese Pizza. Baker Josef’s flour is a staple for every kitchen. Head over to the refrigerated section and pick up some Trader Quixote’s Gazpacho or Trader O’Joe’s Celtic Cheddar. I’m not making any of this up. These are all flanked by the standard Trader Joe’s labeled pastas, soups, peanut butter, and even pet food.

The chain is so beloved for its sense of humor, product quality, and competitive pricing that in the May 2009 issue of Consumer Reports it was named the second-best supermarket chain in the US, right behind Wegmans. (See Outpacing Whole Foods Means Not Charging Whole Paycheck).

What could be more American than funny product names, organic food offerings, and, oh yeah -- did I mention free samples?

What could be more American than a guy named Trader Joe?

Now brace yourself: Who would have guessed that a chain with over 300 locations, all of which are located within the continental United States, is not American-owned? In 1979, the all-American company was bought by  Theo Albrecht, the German billionaire behind the supermarket giant Aldi, which is short for Albrecht Discount. The connection between the two markets makes a lot of sense when we break it down, though. Let’s start from the beginning.