Pepe’s Salami Chips debuted salami chips in 2015 and have since been awarded the Premier Award For Agri-Food Innovation Excellence. These salami chips are said to use only the highest premium quality cuts of meat with no fillers, no MSG, and allergen-free. The word chips in the jerky world infer being crispy, but in fairness, the word jerky does appear on the bag. Their bag even states ‘tender’. These salami chips are advertised to be slow oven-baked. This Pepe’s Salami Chips brand name is distributed by Sanda Foods, and it is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
The first review for Pepe’s Salami Chips will focus on a 1.41 ounce/40 gram bag of their original salami chips. This flavour is described as being from Pepe’s Salami Chips’ beautiful homeland, Ontario, using only the finest local premium meat, herbs and spices. The President of Sanda Foods, Sandro Micieli, kindly submitted these salami chips for review.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Pork, Beef, Corn Syrup Solids, Sugar, Dextrose, Garlic, Sodium Erythorbate, Lactic Acid Starter Culture, Sodium Nitrite, Smoke.
The beef and pork sourced from Ontario based farms are ethically raised, meaning it is guaranteed to be free of growth hormones and additional antibiotics. The cattle have at least partial free range access to roam about and graze on grass the way nature intended. As a result, the highest ingredient rating awarded is a Very Good (9/10) rating.
The only healthy ingredient added is garlic.
The sugar level is great at 0 grams of sugar per 20 grams of salami chips. The salt level is high at 630mg of salt per 20 grams of jerky to lose a rating. Our preference is 350mg of salt per 28 grams, but that is for jerky.
This jerky does not qualify to have no sodium nitrite as sodium nitrite is used outright, including sodium erythorbate as preservatives to lose a rating. Admirably, these salami chips do qualify to have no MSG added.
Decent (7/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
PEPE’S SALAMI CHIPS – ORIGINAL SALAMI CHIPS
Written by guest jerky reviewer Stéphane Leclerc
Pepe’s Salami Chips – Tender is really tasty, and as I’ve opened the bag, I simply could not stop. These little salami chips are packed with flavour without being overly seasoned. The spices and seasoning are balanced and complement the meaty taste with a nice and welcomed smoky accent.
I was expecting a crispy texture. However, it is described as Tender, and no harm is done. I also like that the chips are not too oily. The bite and taste remain clean and very flavourful. I am comfortably between a 9 and 10\10 Taste Rating.
Written by guest jerky reviewer Paul Rekker
When I crack open the bag I believe I smell smoke. All this time, I thought this odour was soy or vinegar, but I believe now that it is smoke. Correct me if I’m wrong.
These ‘chips’ come in the form of a round thin slice of pepperoni. The pieces are absolutely uniform in size.
When I bite into the morsels of ‘salami’ I taste salt, pepper, both at a good level, slight garlic, possibly light onion, along with the pungent smell and flavour of soy.
These ‘salami chips’ are rather tasty, and maybe I am picking up on some vinegary flavour, maybe not.
Overall, I would be quite comfortable with a 9/10 taste rating, only deducting a point for lack of boldness.
Here is what Mark had to say about this Original flavour from Pepe’s Salami Chips: “Thanks Paul and Stéphane for the honest taste reviews. I was quite impressed with these salami chips. There is a real delicatessen salami taste present, where it’s obvious authentic salami is used. These ‘chips’ are sliced very thin, and no, they are not crispy. The texture is unlike any jerky that we have reviewed in that these salami chips are extremely easy to chew, in a kind of melt in your mouth way. True in that there is a smokiness and garlic flavours present.”
“Overall, I would have been 100% comfortable in awarding a 10 taste rating. My bag was gone in no time, leaving me wanting more as with Stéphane. I’m afraid I have to disagree with Paul in that this flavour is not bold tasting. The salami flavour delivers, and original flavours sort of by nature should not be bold tasting. Given the guest reviewers’ various opinions, a Very Good (9/10) taste rating will be awarded. Take a bow Sanda Foods, you have a winner here.”
Pepe’s Salami Chips sells this 1.41 ounce/40 gram bag online for $5.99. That equates to $4.27 an ounce, which rates at an expensive price.
Very Good (9/10) – Taste Rating
Bag Review
This resealable professional-looking plastic bag has everything imprinted on the bag itself, both on the front and back. On the front and back, there are high-resolution pictures of salami chips.
Some slogans printed may be “Learn! Want? Order!” and “Makes For An Amazing Snack!” Some facts printed on this bag are “Tender”, “Oven-Baked”, “Real Salami 100%”, “High In Protein”, “Gluten Free”, “High In Energy”, “New”, “Nothing Added!”, and “Dried & Cured!”.
Some missing bag categories are a transparent window to view the salami chips, best before date, and a blurb about Pepe’s Salami Chips or these salami chips. As per Canadian law, French translations are provided.
Order their salami chips online: www.redtruckbeefjerky.com
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