While visiting the USA in 2012 I made an online purchase for an 8 ounce/226 gram bag of beef jerky for the Bach Cuc brand. This review will focus on their Du Du Bo Kho flavor, which is a Vietnamese dish with green papaya salad and jerky.
Bach Cuc, Inc makes and distributes this Bach Cuc brand of jerky, based out of South El Monte, California. Bach Cuc, Inc have been using recipes and a process to make jerky that goes back more than 30 years, and passed down from generation to generation. These recipes originated in Southeast Asia, which use exotic herbs and spices, making this jerky oriental. Over the past decade, Bach Cuc, Inc have grown their operations from a small family endeavor into a premier food products company that distributes to various locations.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Water, Sugar, Sesame Seeds, BBQ Powder [Natural Cane Sugar, Powdered Soy Sauce (Wheat, Soybeans, Salt, Maltodextrin), Salt, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Spices, Calcium Silicate (Anti-caking Agent), FD&C Red #3], Garlic Powder, Red Pepper, Sodium Nitrite Allergen Warnings: Soy, Wheat, Sesame
The liquid marinade is just plain old water. There is a soy sauce used but in a powdered form, with just an average ingredient list.
There are healthy spices used such as onion powder, garlic powder, and red peppers. Sesame seeds are also very healthy but a known allergen to some people.
Disappointingly, FD&C Red #3 was used, giving this barbecue powder a red appearance. These artificial colors are known to be quite unhealthy, with an ability to cause a wide variety of bad behaviors, especially in children.
The sugar level is quite high at 8 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky. Our preference is 3 grams of sugar or less. The salt level is also quite high at 430mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky. Our preference is 350mg of salt or less.
This jerky does use unhealthy sodium nitrite as the main preservative, apart from salt. On a better note, this jerky does qualify to have no MSG added.
Alright (6/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
These were large, thin slices of jerky. The slices have an almost soft and tender texture. It had an odd, unfamiliar taste. There was a liberal amount of sesame seeds used. This is the type of flavor that you really enjoy or dislike, with not much room in between.
I paid $10 for this rather large 8 ounce/226 gram bag of jerky. That works out to $1.25 per ounce, which rates as a very cheap price. There are better deals out there.
Bag Review
This resealable plastic bag is quite tall, easily capable of holding 8 ounces/226 grams of jerky. Everything is imprinted directly on the plastic bag itself, with no labels or stickers affixed.
There are no slogans printed on this bag. The only fact really stated on the bag is “Made from Solid Strips of Beef”.
Something you do not see often on bags of jerky is an Export Gift Pack Information statement. That basically means the cows were inspected before and after death. The USDA is giving a stamp of approval, meaning that this jerky is safe for exporting to other countries.
Most bag categories are covered here. Missing is a best before date, and no details given about Bach Cuc, Inc.
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