Note: For a recent, live taste review, open Tillamook Country Smoker® Smokey Teriyaki Review #3.
The next review on Tillamook Country Smoker will be on a 3 ounce/85 gram bag of their teriyaki flavor. This bag was purchased at a convenience store in Jacksonville, Florida, back in 2010.
The Tillamook Country Smoker jerky brand name is manufactured and distributed by Tillamook Country Smoker Inc., located in Bay City, Tillamook County, Oregon. They have been in business for over 50 years, and rank well within the top 10 jerky makers in annual sales for North America. It all started with providing jerky to brave pioneers who often walked every step of the 2000 mile long grueling Oregon Trail. According to Tillamook Country Smoker, the original Oregonians, the Native Americans indigenous to the area, taught settlers how to make jerky.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Contains Beef, Brown Sugar, Water, Sugar, Soy Sauce Powder [Soy Sauce (Wheat, Soybeans, Salt), Maltodextrin, Salt], Salt, Corn Syrup Solids, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Spices, Torula Yeast, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Sodium Erythorbate, Spices Extractives, Sodium Nitrite. Allergen Warnings: Soy, Wheat
Due to the volume of beef utilized daily at Tillamook Country Smoker, there is no guarantee that the beef used is not fed growth hormones and/or additional antibiotics. The same would be true for partially grass fed cattle. As a result, the highest ingredient rating that can be awarded is a Good (8/10) rating.
There are some healthy ingredients used such as spices, onion powder, garlic powder, and spices extractives.
The sugar level is a bit high at 6 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky. For a sweet based flavor such as teriyaki, the preference is 5 grams of sugar or under. The salt level is extremely high at 640mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky. Our preference is 350mg of salt or less.
As for preservatives, unhealthy sodium erythorbate and sodium nitrite are used. There are also forms of unhealthy MSG used with hydrolyzed corn protein and torula yeast.
Bad (3/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
Note: For a recent, live taste review, open Tillamook Country Smoker Smokey Teriyaki Review #3.
I do remember this jerky having a smoked taste, with a relatively dry texture. My notes in 2010 indicated that this jerky just tasted alright.
This 3 ounce/85 gram bag of Tillamook Country Smoker teriyaki flavor cost $4.99. That works out to $1.63 an ounce, which is a cheap price for jerky. This particular ingredient list is no longer for sale.
Bag Review
This is your standard sized bag for jerky, around 3 – 4 ounces, which is easy to open, and is resealable. Everything is imprinted directly on the bag, both the front and back, with no labels affixed.
The Tillamook Country Smoker company registered trademark logo is a circle with a ‘T’ in the middle. On the back of the bag, there is an informative blurb describing Tillamook Country Smoker and their jerky.
There are many slogans printed on this bag such as “Natural Wood Smoked”, “97% Fat Free”, “Made in the USA”, “No MSG Added”, “Made With Solid Strips Of Beef”, “0g Trans Fat”, and “10g of Protein”. We actually disagree with the claims of “No MSG Added” and “0g Trans Fat”. Hydrolyzed corn protein is used, which is both a trans fat, and a type of MSG.
All bag categories are covered here, with the small exception that the jerky weight is not stated in grams. To the credit of Tillamook Country Smoker, they provide a toll free phone number for customer inquiries.
Order their jerky online: www.tcsjerky.com
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