Eden and his wife Marie (aka Ria) Van officially launched Ria’s RoadKill Jerky in 2011, based out of Long Beach, California where Eden was raised. Eden is a first generation Cambodian immigrant and Marie is Filipina. Ria’s RoadKill Jerky award winning jerky is smoked in very small batches using all natural ingredients with no preservatives that takes four days to make from start to finish.
Currently, Ria’s RoadKill Jerky sells Original, Chipotle, Canadian, Habanero, Korean BBQ, Spicy Sriracha, and Peppered beef jerky flavors, along with a Mesquite flavor of crispy Jerky Chips. Today, Ria’s RoadKill Jerky now operates out of Sacramento, California.
Unfortunately, we are sad to announce that Ria’s RoadKill Jerky has since gone out of business.
The next review for Ria’s RoadKill Jerky will focus on a 4 ounce/113 gram bag of their Canadian Steak beef jerky. This jerky was graciously submitted for review by Chef/Owner Eden Van.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Water, Soy Sauce, Spices, Natural Flavorings. Allergen Warnings: Soy, Wheat
The 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 only liquids listed in the marinade used here are water and an unknown ingredient list for soy sauce.
Healthy spices are added, which likely includes onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper.
There is no nutrition facts table provided. As a result, the exact sugar and salt levels are unknown.
This jerky does qualify to not use sodium nitrite, or any other similar preservatives. Instead, salt is the main preservative. Admirably, this jerky does qualify to have no MSG added.
Good (8/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
RIA’S ROADKILL JERKY – CANADIAN STEAK BEEF JERKY
Written by guest jerky reviewer Stéphane Leclerc
I’ve enjoyed the Ria’s Roadkill Jerky, as there is a really good smokiness. This jerky is a bit on the salty side and rather lean. The flavors are good, somewhat on the light side and generally well-balanced.
I’d like to see some bolder flavors to compete with the prominent smokiness and maybe a little extra punch of garlic and onion or perhaps a splash of vinegar to brighten the flavor profile. This would certainly add some richness and give this jerky a much needed “Wow’ factor.
Overall, Ria’s Roadkill Jerky is quite good and my minor complaints are simply my own opinion. I rate this jerky an 8/10 taste rating.
Here is what Mark had to say about this Canadian Steak beef jerky flavor from Ria’s RoadKill Jerky: “Thanks Stéphane Leclerc for the great taste review. Agreed in that the smokiness is dominant tasting and steals the show here. Also agreed with Stéphane in that the garlic and onion levels could stand to be higher.”
“This jerky was shared between eight people, two of whom awarded an Excellent (10/10) taste rating. The rest were in the 7 – 9 range. With such a bold tasting flavor, a Very Good (9/10) taste rating is well justified.”
Ria’s RoadKill Jerky sells 2 pounds (eight 4 ounce/113 gram bags of jerky) online for $64.99. That equates to $2.03 an ounce, which rates as a cheap price. Commendably, free shipping is offered on all orders. For smaller orders, visit their EBay and ETSY shops.
Very Good (9/10) – Taste Rating
Bag Review
This beige plastic resealable bag has a label affixed to both the front and back. The Ria’s RoadKill Jerky logo depicts a picture of a bull’s head. There is a graphic on the front indicating that this is award winning jerky.
A slogan printed on this bag is “The Real Man’s Meat – EST. 2011”. The only fact printed on this bag is “No Preservatives”.
Some bag categories missing are the jerky weight not stated in grams, a USDA stamp, barcode, allergen alerts, distributor address details, best before date, a hole to hang on hooks, a blurb about Ria’s RoadKill Jerky or this flavor, and a nutrition facts table.
Order their jerky online: www.riasroadkilljerky.com
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