Big Chief Meat Snacks has proudly been in business for 50 years. For three generations, the Klein family has been making meat snacks. Originally a sausage producer and delicatessen, Alberta Fancy Sausage Ltd. was founded in 1971. When the switch was made from delicatessen to beef jerky manufacturer, Big Chief Meat Snacks new jerky brand evolved.
Family-owned, Big Chief Meat Snacks Inc. promotes active lifestyles and a balanced diet. People referred to the founder William Klein as “Big Chief” and how the Big Chief jerky brand name was adopted. This Big Chief Meat Snacks jerky brand name is distributed under Big Chief Meat Snacks Inc., and it is located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
The next review on Big Chief Meat Snacks will focus on a 2.8 ounce/80 gram bag of their sweet & spicy flavoured chopped and formed beef jerky. This flavour is described as having a sweet start with a fiery finish. The jerky was graciously submitted by Marketing & Social Media Coordinator Tanner Thompson.
Ingredients: Beef, Sugars (Brown Sugar, Sugar), Sea Salt, Spices, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Yeast Extract, Natural Honey Essence, Sodium Nitrite. Allergen Warnings: Soy
Alberta’s locally sourced beef is not guaranteed to be free of growth hormones or additional antibiotics. The cattle are 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 Very Good (9/10) rating.
The texture of this jerky is chopped and formed. As a result, two ingredient ratings are deducted without a natural whole sliced strip of jerky.
There are some healthy ingredients added, such as natural honey essence and spices.
The sugar level is decent at 3 grams of sugar per 30 grams of jerky. The salt level is high at 510mg of salt per 30 grams of jerky. However, the salt level is ignored because healthy, minimally processed sea salt is used.
This jerky does not qualify to have no sodium nitrite as sodium nitrite is used outright as a preservative to lose a rating. This jerky does not qualify to have no MSG added, as the highly processed cheap flavour enhancer hydrolyzed soy protein is used to lose another rating.
Average (5/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
BIG CHIEF MEAT SNACKS – SWEET & SPICY BEEF JERKY
Written by guest jerky reviewer Paul Rekker
When I rip open the bag I smell very little, maybe just natural beef and light soy. The pieces are uniform in size, shape, and thickness (chopped and formed). They are square, thin, chewy, and they leave some oily residue on your fingers after handling.
The first flavours I encounter are salt, at a decent level, next to no sweet, which is also good to me, but not as advertised, garlic, soy, pepper, slight onion, and natural beef. I am also picking up on a fair kick, by no means overpowering but most definitely noticeable. I am actually enjoying these morsels, and they are rather darn tasty. This is not the first time I have thoroughly enjoyed a chopped and formed jerky, and I doubt that this will be the last.
I can’t believe that I am deducting a point for a jerky flavour not being sweet enough, but it is what it is. If it is advertised as sweet, the sweet flavour should be more prevalent than it is, regardless of my own personal biases. Otherwise, this is a tasty treat, well worth a 9/10. Gentlemen?
Written by guest jerky reviewer Stéphane Leclerc
The Big Chief Sweet and Spicy Beef Jerky has a pleasant aroma. However, I am unimpressed with this jerky; the texture is unappealing, as it is spongy and quite oily. The flavour is slightly spicy, and other flavours are underperforming and rather forgettable. As I taste this jerky, I can’t help but think this is perhaps an experiment or a failed batch. This is chopped and formed jerky, and it reminds us and really makes us feel it every step of the way.
The package states Sweet & Spicy in English, and interestingly in French, it states Salty and Spicy. After repeatedly sampling this product, I am not sure which one best describes this jerky. These are more indications this may not really be a finished product. I am disappointed with the flavour and texture of this jerky and the flagrant lack of quality control, professionalism, and pride of this company. I generously rate this as 5/10 taste rating, and I’d be comfortable with a much lower rating.
Here is what Mark had to say about this sweet & spicy beef jerky flavour from Big Chief Meat Snacks: “Thanks Paul and Stéphane for the diverse taste reviews. Wow Stéphane, you are being too harsh on this chopped and formed texture. Like Paul, I am not a fan of too much sweet, but I also have to admit that this sweet & spicy flavour could stand to be sweeter tasting. This flavour is described as having a ‘sweet start’ and ‘a fiery finish’. While the level of spiciness is at an acceptable level, there is far from a fiery finish, nor much sweetness.”
“If I were to guess this flavour, it would have taken me several tries. While I too enjoyed this tasty snack, chopped and formed texture notwithstanding, the flavour did not quite come across as a sweet & spicy flavour. With Stéphane at a 5 rating, Paul at a 9, and myself at an 8 rating, a Good (8/10) taste rating will be awarded”.
This 2.8 ounce/80 gram bag of jerky cost $6.50. That works out to $2.31 an ounce, which rates at a cheap price.
Bag Review
The resealable plastic bag has everything imprinted directly on the bag, both on the front and back. There are no labels affixed to this bag. A graphic is displayed on the back of a cow’s head that cleverly has the B from the Big Chief logo.
A slogan on this bag could be “Big Taste. Big Adventure”. Some facts printed on this bag are “Chopped and Formed”, “Excellent Source of Protein”, “Gluten Free”, and “Product of Canada”.
The only bag category missing is a transparent window to view the actual jerky. There is a great blurb printed on the back about Big Chief Meat Snacks. As per Canadian law, French translations are provided. Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin icons are displayed. Commendably, a telephone number is displayed for customer inquiries.
Order their jerky online: www.bigchiefmeatsnacks.com
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