The next review on World Kitchens will focus on a 3 ounce/85 gram bag of their teriyaki sliced and formed beef and pork jerky. This flavor is described as using the perfect combination of ingredients to create a teriyaki explosion, wrapped up by a bold smoke flavor. This bag was purchased at a convenience store in Lewiston, New York.
This World Kitchens brand of jerky is distributed under the same name of World Kitchens, and it is located in Laurens, Iowa. However, this jerky is manufactured by Link Snacks, Inc., world famous for manufacturing the Jack Link’s brand of jerky, based out of Minong, Wisconsin. The first bag of World Kitchens jerky was sold in 1984 at an affordable price. Still, today it is an affordable price, and still the cheapest jerky brand reviewed to date on this web site of nearly 200 different brands of jerky. The jerky used here is packaged in these upper Midwestern states: Alpena, South Dakota; Mankato, Minnesota; New Glarus, Wisconsin; Minong, Wisconsin; and Bellevue, Nebraska.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef and Pork, Sugar, Pork Stalk, Contains 2% or less of Salt, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Monosodium Glutamate, Flavorings, Citric Acid, Water, Sodium Nitrite. Allergen Warnings: Soy
The pork and beef used is not guaranteed to be free of growth hormones or additional antibiotics. Also, the beef is not guaranteed to have at least partial free range access to graze on grass. As a result, the highest ingredient rating that can be awarded is a Good (8/10) rating.
The texture of this jerky is chopped and formed, or in this case advertised as Sliced & Shaped. As a result, without having a natural whole sliced strip of jerky, two ingredient ratings are deducted.
The liquid marinade is comprised of only a little bit of water and pork stalk, which is considered to be healthy containing many different types of minerals from boiling bones in water, but the quality can vary.
The annoyingly vague term flavorings is used. Flavorings could contain both healthy and unhealthy ingredients. It is likely that garlic powder is still used, and possibly onion powder.
The sugar level is quite high at 8 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky to lose two ratings. Our preference is 5 grams of sugar or under per 28 grams of jerky for a sweet based flavor as we have here with teriyaki. The salt level is high at 480mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky to lose two ratings. Our preference is 350mg of salt or less per 28 grams of jerky.
This jerky does use unhealthy sodium nitrite as the main preservative apart from salt to lose a rating. Citric acid also acts as a preservative to a lesser degree, where the quality of citric acid can vary widely.
This jerky does not qualify to be MSG free, as the unhealthy flavor enhancer monosodium glutamate (MSG) is used outright to lose a rating. Worse, the highly processed cheap flavor enhancer hydrolyzed soy protein is used to lose another rating.
Terrible (1/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
These strips of jerky are small in size, and sliced to a medium thickness. This jerky texture is somewhere between dry and soft, which is reasonably easy to chew. As expected with a chopped and formed texture, there is no natural tear in the beef/pork to this jerky.
Some flavors that jump out at first are saltiness, sweetness, garlic, and soy. Not as any surprise, there is no true natural beef or pork flavor present, just a processed type of meat flavor.
This flavor does resemble a teriyaki flavor to a certain degree. Lacking is an Asian flair such as using ginger or wine. Somewhat annoying is that this jerky leaves an odd, slight aftertaste in your mouth.
We were all unanimous here on our taste ratings, where none of us were overly impressed. We all barely detected a smoke flavor, let alone a ‘bold’ smoked flavor as advertised.
As per Stéphane, “All the flavors in this jerky are reminiscent of a generic teriyaki flavor without really making any waves.”
As stated by Paul, “I would recommend this jerky to your average Joe (or Joan) who just enjoys a jerky snack, but not to someone who craves craft jerky. It is like comparing a ground beef burger to a prime rib beef burger, or a Dodge Dart to a Chevy Camaro. This is just sustenance as opposed to a ‘wow’ factor…”
This 3 ounce/85 gram bag of jerky cost $3.50. That works out to $1.17 an ounce, which rates as a dirt cheap price.
Bag Review
This resealable plastic bag has everything imprinted directly on to the bag itself, both on the front and back. There are no labels affixed to this bag. The World Kitchens logo is fitting, a picture of a globe.
Some World Kitchens slogans are “Quality Meats” and “World Class Jerky. Value Price”. Some facts printed on this bag are “11g Protein”, “80 Calories”, “1g Total Fat”, “Sliced & Shaped”, “Made With Premium Cuts of Beef & Pork”, and “Packaged in the USA”.
Every single bag category is covered with this bag. There is a small blurb printed on the back about World Kitchens, but nothing specifically mentioning this teriyaki flavor.
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