Maui~Licious was founded in 2000 by the founder, Dr. Charles R. Medeiros (Dr. Chuck). Maui~Licious, Inc. was contacted by a jerky maker seeking to purchase a 5 gallon bucket of their trademark Teri~Licious sauce created 75 years ago. Instead, Dr. Chuck started making his own jerky using this Teri~Licious sauce as the base marinade for all of their four flavors (Original, Sweet N Spicy, Teriyaki, Hot).
In 2019, Dr. Chuck decided it was time to retire at age 85. Maui~Licious, Inc. contacted Smokehouse Jerky Co. to take over the tradition of still manufacturing Maui~Licious. After some negotiation, the terms were reached. Smokehouse Jerky Co. officially took over the Maui~Licious jerky brand in late 2019, and Dr. Chuck officially retired. Smokehouse Jerky Co. is located in Beaumont, California.
The next review on Maui~Licious beef jerky will focus on a 3 ounce/85 gram bag of their teriyaki flavored beef jerky. We previously reviewed this teriyaki flavor back in 2014. This jerky is described as Teriyaki that will delight your tastebuds! The jerky was graciously submitted for review by co-owner Patti Fonseca from Smokehouse Jerky Co.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Teriyaki Sauce (Soy Sauce, (Water, Wheat, Soybeans and Salt) Granulated Sugar, Garlic, Ginger, Sesame Seed Oil, Minced Onion, Lavender Spice), Bourbon Flavor (Propylene Glycol, Alcohol, Carmel Color, Water, Artificial Flavors, contains Sulfites), Black Pepper. Allergen Warnings: Sesame, 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 liquid marinade consists of a decent brand of soy sauce, a respectable brand of teriyaki sauce, very healthy sesame seed oil, and an awful bourbon flavor. The bourbon flavor contains the oil derivative propylene glycol to lose a rating, which has no business being in the food chain. The bourbon flavor also uses artificial flavors to lose another rating.
The trifecta of healthy vegetables is achieved with minced onion, garlic and ginger, along with healthy black pepper.
The most interesting ingredient is lavender spice. The scent of lavender, a flower, is said to be soothing to the human spirit, and has been used as a culinary herb for centuries. No other spice smells like lavender, and it has multiple health benefits.
The sugar level is extremely high at 13 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky to lose a rating. Our preference is 3 grams of sugar or less per 28 grams of jerky. The salt level is right at our upper limit of 350mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky.
Admirably, this jerky qualifies to have no MSG added. Also commendable in that this jerky also qualifies to have no sodium nitrite added. Apart from salt, there are no unhealthy preservatives used in this jerky.
Average (5/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
MAUI~LICIOUS – TERIYAKI BEEF JERKY (REVIEW #2)
Written by guest jerky reviewer Paul Rekker
When I open the bag, I smell nothing. I only have one piece (long story), so the piece I have is medium in size, and sliced to a medium thickness. It is soft and a bit chewy, and it leaves no oily residue on your fingers.
The first flavors I detect are salt, sweet (possibly a little too much), garlic, onion and a juice, maybe pineapple juice.
The jerky is a classic teriyaki flavor, no real surprises here. It is as advertised, but it is by no means blowing me away. My review’s reading as an 8, but I’m thinking more like a 9/10. Either way, not bad, but not blow me away either. Gentlemen?
Here is what Stéphane had to say about this flavor: “I truly enjoyed this Maui-Licious Teriyaki Beef Jerky. The flavor profile is complex and conveys a wonderful Asian flair. Amongst other flavors, the ginger and sesame comes through very nicely and brings richness to the party. The sesame gives a peanut butter like taste and it is truly a tasty treat. This jerky is on the sweet side, as it is expected from a Teriyaki flavor. It is not overdone and it is fairly noticeable.”
“The Maui-Licious Teriyaki Beef Jerky has a pleasant aroma, a great texture and the flavor is quite addictive from the first bite. Teriyaki flavors are often a hit and miss and this jerky is spot on. It will undoubtedly not disappoint most Teriyaki fans.”
“A well deserved Excellent 10/10 taste rating.”
Here is what Mark had to say about this teriyaki beef jerky flavor from Maui~Licious: “Thanks Paul and Stéphane for your taste reviews. I am leaning towards Paul here, where this jerky also challenged to keep my attention. Going back to Paul’s comment and starting this review on Thursday, that one strip of jerky would never have lasted until Sunday if I were even semi-interested. Overall, a good tasting flavor that has a reasonable teriyaki flavor profile, but the sugar really started to weigh in on me. Not as much the sweetness, which is masked well. After a while, it felt as if the sugar in this flavor was annoyingly decaying my teeth, causing me discomfort. We will split the difference here and award a Very Good (9/10) taste rating.”
This 3 ounce/85 gram bag sells online for $7.99, which works out to $2.66 an ounce. That would rate as an average price.
Very Good (9/10) – Taste Rating
Bag Review
This bag certainly has some color. There are no labels affixed to this bag, where everything is imprinted directly on the bag. There are colorful plants and flowers, with a body of water in the background, presumably the ocean. Above the water, the sky in the background gradually gets bluer the higher it gets, quite clever. This bag is vacuum sealed, the best way to keep a jerky flavor fresh tasting.
The only slogan is their trademark name Teri-Licious™ printed on both the front and back. Some facts printed on this bag are “Gourmet”, “Tender & Juicy” and “Deliciously Flavorful”.
Almost all bag categories are covered. Missing are soy/wheat/sesame allergen alerts, and the jerky weight is not stated in grams. There is a good blurb about Maui~Licious printed on the back of this bag. To the credit of Maui~Licious, they provide a toll free number for any customer inquiries.
Order their jerky online: www.smokehousejerky.com
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