Astig is a word in the Philippines language Tagalog (pronounced ta-ga-lawg), below is a definition:
ASTIG: (pronounced ă-steeg) is a Tagalog slang term that means cool, badass or kickass.
Astig Ka Ba? (Are you Astig?)
All Astig Premium Jerky reviews will start with the definition of Astig, to educate the public on what this Filipino slang term means. For the second review on Astig Premium Jerky, this review will focus on a 3 ounce/84 gram bag of their Adobo flavored beef jerky. The owner, Michael J. Robin, kindly submitted this jerky for review.
Astig Premium Jerky is distributed by Astig Unlimited, LLC, based out of Thousand Oaks, California. For some people, Adobo is the unofficial national dish of the Philippines. There is a large Filipino presence in Southern California, where Michael is trying to better familiarize the Filipino community with jerky.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Cane Vinegar (Cane Vinegar, Water), Soy Sauce (Water, Wheat, Soybeans, Salt), White Sugar, Garlic, Pepper, Bay Leaf. Allergen Warnings: Soy, Wheat
The meat used is from locally raised grain-fed cattle in California. Traditional Philippine ingredients are used in the marinade. Small batches of jerky are made to ensure freshness.
The liquid marinade is comprised of cane vinegar and an average soy sauce. Cane vinegar is more popular in Asian cuisine, most notably the Philippines. It may have a sweet taste, but more likely a sour tasting vinegar with the fermentation process. Despite having a type of sugar infused, cane vinegar is actually quite healthy with multiple health benefits.
We have some healthy ingredients used such as bay leaf, garlic, and black pepper.
The sugar level is a tad high at 4 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky. Our preference is 3 grams of sugar or less. The salt level is reasonable at 270mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky.
This jerky contains no added MSG or sodium nitrite, or something similar as a preservative.
Good (8/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
These jerky strips are mostly fairly small in size. The thickness is medium, almost thin. There are no visible signs of fat on this jerky. The texture is dry, but certainly not overly dry. There is no oily residue left on your fingers while handling this jerky.
The first taste detected is a light sweetness that builds, but never overpowers. There is only a light peppery taste, and the garlic taste is not really that noticeable. There is a slightly sour taste, nowhere near overpowering, most likely from the cane vinegar. There is not much in the way of a salty taste. Most Filipino’s would describe Adobo as sour and salty. For this Adobo beef jerky flavor, we can’t say that it is very salty or sour. It is sour and salty to a point, but the average Filipino would expect a more sour flavor.
This 3 ounce/84 gram bag of jerky retails for $5.99. That works out to $2.00 an ounce, which rates as an average price. You don’t need to be Filipino to enjoy this Astig Premium Jerky Adobo flavor.
Bag Review
We have a black colored plastic bag here, with a label affixed on the front, and nothing on the back. The Astig Premium Jerky is interesting, combining the USA and Philippines flag colors, where that half sun is on the Philippines flag.
As for slogans printed on the bag: “Made in the USA” and “Gourmet”. If you visit the Astig Premium Jerky web site, you will see that they trademarked the slogans “Awesomeat!” and “Rethink Your Jerky!”. There is one blurb on this jerky: “The First & Original Beef Jerky Made With Traditional Filipino Flavors”.
All bag categories are covered here. There are actually two different sized QR (Quick Response) codes on this bag.
Order their jerky online: www.astigjerky.com
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