Note: For a more current taste review on a tweaked bag design, open up Halal Mummified Jerky – Luxor Cumin Cilantro Halal Beef Jerky (Review #2).
It is a generally accepted story that an ancient South American Inca tribe called the Quechua first made jerky (“ch’arki”) as early as the 1500’s. Halal Mummified Jerky blows that theory away, where it is well documented that jerky was made thousands of years ago by ancient Egyptians. Archaeologists made this discovery when they found dried foods preserved in tombs. Tutankhamen, King Tut had about 40 boxes of meat and poultry in his tomb. Halal Mummified Jerky is 100% made in the USA, and their beef is certified to be halal by Halal Transactions of Omaha. Halal Mummified Jerky is advertised to have no added MSG, nitrite free, and the beef has no added hormones. Halal Mummified Jerky is distributed by Timeline Trading, and they are located in Bellevue, Washington.
The first review on Halal Mummified Jerky will be on a 2.5 ounce/70 gram bag of their Luxor Cumin Cilantro flavored halal beef jerky. Halal means food that is allowed for consumption under Islamic dietary guidelines. The aim is for a Muslim to slaughter the animal, limiting the amount of pain the animal will endure. The jerky bag was kindly submitted for review by the owner Ahmed Kamel.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Brown Sugar, Orange Juice, Lime Juice, Sea Salt, Garlic, Gluten Free Tamari Sauce (Water, Soybeans, Salt and Sugar), Fresh Jalapenos, Granulated Onion, Tomato Sauce, Fresh Cilantro, Cumin, Ground Pepper, Cayenne, Cilantro Flakes, Water, Paprika. Allergen Warnings: Soy
The beef used here is guaranteed to be ethically raised, meaning free of growth hormones or additional antibiotics. These cattle are not guaranteed to have at least partial free range access to roam about. As a result, the highest ingredient rating that can be awarded is a Very Good (9/10) rating.
The liquid marinade used here consists of orange juice, healthy lime juice, an alright gluten free tamari sauce, water, and healthy tomato sauce.
There are many super healthy ingredients added such as garlic, granulated onion, fresh cilantro, cumin, black pepper, and cilantro flakes. The leafy herb cilantro is known to contain many antioxidants, and it is closely related to coriander seeds.
The heat is achieved here from using cayenne pepper and
jalapenos peppers. Hot peppers are healthy if eaten in moderation, which flushes toxins out of the body.
The sugar level is kind of high at 5 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky. Our preference is 3 grams of sugar or less per 28 grams of jerky. In fairness, some of that sugar content is coming from the juices. The salt level is well within reason at 240mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky.
This jerky qualifies to have no sodium nitrite, or any other similar unhealthy preservative. Instead, salt is the main preservative used. With more kudos to Halal Mummified Jerky, this jerky has no MSG added.
Good (8/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
Written by guest jerky reviewer Stéphane Leclerc
I am generally not a fan of cilantro or cumin but I did however really enjoy this Halal Mummified Jerky – Luxor Cumin Cilantro Halal Beef Jerky as well as the spicy kick it delivers. This jerky has a lovely and fresh aroma from the beginning. I’ve uncovered a slew of several great flavors. They complement each other well and as a whole, they form into an explosive flavor profile.
Truth be told, the spiciness can be quite elevated at times and possibly overwhelming to the average jerky lover. This spiciness is also significantly uneven and ranges from mild to approximately 3/5 on a heat scale from strip to strip and even bite to bite. Unfortunately, this discrepancy is not stated anywhere on the bag including the jerky maker’s website. This can be misleading and unaware consumers would probably prefer being warned ahead of time, I certainly would. Having said that, I did like this tasty beef jerky and I have found this flavor to be quite addictive in the end.
As Mark said “Right away you know for certain that you are in for a huge treat after one sniff of this jerky. The fragrance is mainly of juice and cilantro”.
“Wow, you are blasted with a wonderfully strong level of cilantro. Any fan of cilantro is bound to instantly fall in love with this flavor. Cilantro is just one of many flavors that you are bombarded with”.
“The blend of orange and lime juices is prominent tasting also. And true, there is a level of spiciness here, which I would term as light. The juices act well to counteract the spiciness from the fresh Jalapenos and cayenne pepper”.
“The garlic is at a mild level, and blends in beautifully. The black pepper is at a light level. The soy seems to be faint tasting. While I do detect some taste of cumin, the cilantro flavor tends to overpower the cumin”.
“A mild level of sweetness is present, within reason without going overboard. Despite the plethora of a complex blend of spices, there still remains a good level of natural beef flavor”.
“I cannot get enough of this jerky, where I find this flavor to be particularly addictive. I thoroughly enjoyed this flavor, where if they sold this flavor at a local convenience store, they would struggle to keep it in stock because I would purchase so much. It is probably not surprising here given Paul’s and my love for spicy foods”.
Paul stated: “I am experiencing a veritable cornucopia of flavors jumping out at me. A very flavorful jerky, with all flavors meshing together quite well. I love the not-so-gentle kick in the background. I am thoroughly enjoying this flavor of jerky”.
These strips of beef are mainly medium in size and are sliced to a medium thickness. The texture is on the dry side and somewhat reasonably easy to chew. The green cilantro flakes are noticeably visible on each strip. As advertised, this jerky has the texture and taste of a premium cut of beef.
Although my opinion of this Halal Mummified Jerky – Luxor Cumin Cilantro Halal Beef Jerky differs from Mark and Paul’s opinion, we ended up rating this jerky 9/10 where I had some reservations.
A 2.5 ounce/70.9 gram bag of jerky sells online for $6.50, which works out to $2.60 an ounce. That would rate as an average price.
Very Good (9/10) – Taste Rating
Bag Review
This resealable plastic bag has a label affixed to the front, and nothing on the back. The Halal Mummified Jerky logo is a cow wrapped up as a mummy. Random hieroglyphics line the borders of this label.
The Halal Mummified Jerky slogan is “The Oldest Jerky On Earth”. Some facts printed on this bag are “18 Protein Per Package”, “12.5g Sugar Per Package”, “Gluten Free”, “Premium Halal Blood Drained Meats”, “No Added Nitrates or Nitrites”, “No Added MSG”, “Made in USA”, and “Hand Slaughtered Blood Drained Halal”.
The only missing bag categories are the jerky weight is not stated in grams, and a soy allergen alert. A halal certified symbol is printed on the bag.
Order their jerky online: www.mummifiedjerky.com
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