Soo Jerky was founded in Vancouver, British Columbia, by married couple Phillip and Soo Wong back in 1985 with a 1,400 sq. ft facility. They now use a 10,000 sq. ft facility specializing in Singaporean and Malaysian-style beef, salmon, and pork jerky. There is a heavy presence of Asians in Vancouver, British Columbia, where this Soo Jerky brand of jerky became popular in Chinatown. Currently, they sell over 40 different types of meat snacks. Soo Jerky sells this jerky to other Canadian provinces, including some American cities. This Soo Jerky brand name is distributed by Soo Jerky Ltd., and they are based out of Richmond, British Columbia, Canada.
The next review on Soo Jerky will focus on a 2 ounce/56 gram bag of their Sweet & Hot flavored salmon jerky. This flavor is described as having a blend of spices to infuse a satisfyingly sweet and spicy Asian flair into the best of Canada’s West Coast. The bag of jerky was purchased at a 99 Ranch Market store in Hackensack, New Jersey.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Wild Pacific Keta Salmon, Sugar, Salt, Sesame Oil, Chili, Spices, Smoke Flavour, Color (FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Yellow No. 6. Allergen Warnings: Sesame
Of any jerky, wild salmon might rank the healthiest of them all. Salmon is known to be very healthy, and it is especially loaded with the fatty acid Omega 3. As a result, the ingredient rating starts at an Excellent (10/10) rating.
There are some healthy ingredients added, such as spices and red chili peppers.
The sugar level is extremely high at around 11 grams of sugar per 30 grams of jerky to lose a rating. Our preference is 5 grams of sugar or less per 28 grams of jerky for a sweet based flavor as we have here. The salt level is at the upper limit of 360mg of salt per 30 grams of jerky.
The artificial colors FD&C Red No. 40 and FD&C Yellow No. 6 are used to lose a rating.
This jerky qualifies to have no sodium nitrite or any other similar unhealthy preservative. Admirably, this jerky has no MSG added.
Good (8/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
SOO JERKY – SWEET & HOT SALMON JERKY
Written by guest jerky reviewer Paul Rekker
When I open the bag I smell fish, as expected. The pieces are primarily square and rather large. The jerky is soft and a bit moist, but it leaves no oily residue on your fingers.
When I bite into the jerky, I taste salt, pepper, garlic, maybe slight onion in the background. I taste fish, but not necessarily salmon. The flavor is not distinct enough to say for sure. The slight kick, or heat, is coming through finally as an afterthought.
I would have presumed the salmon taste to be more prominent, not dialed back as much as it is. With a clear conscience, I cannot fully endorse this flavor of jerky, so much more could have been done, but Soo Jerky did not have the killer instinct. An 8/10 for this particular flavor gentlemen.
Written by guest jerky reviewer Stéphane Leclerc
I am usually a big fan of salmon, and I am not overly impressed with the Soo Jerky Sweet and Hot Salmon Jerky. The jerky looks like a puddle of dried up puke beside a loner sticky sock left behind the couch cause the box of Kleenex was too damn far.
The aroma is so fishy; it’s like standing with a herd of hookers on Sainte-Catherine Street in Montreal on a hot sticky day in the middle of August.
This jerky is a bit sweet, and it is significantly spicy. I took a few little bites, and this is simply not for me.
As long as I can keep the imagery out of my mind, I’ll rate this salmon jerky a 6/10 Taste Rating.
Here is what Mark had to say about this Sweet & Hot salmon jerky flavor from Soo Jerky: “Thanks Paul and Stéphane for the colorful taste reviews. As a disclaimer, I am not a fan of fish. Salmon tends to be one of the fishier tasting types of fish jerky that we have reviewed. There is plenty of fishiness in the taste to offset me in this review.”
“In regards to being sweet & hot, it is both. The sweetness is a little too sweet tasting for my liking but that is debatable. The heat is surprisingly strong at times, but I cannot fault Soo Jerky for that as this flavor is named sweet & hot as opposed to the more frequently used sweet & spicy flavor name.
I detect zero Asian flair in this flavor as advertised. Plus the texture is chopped and formed, which in general is a turnoff. The overall taste profile tends to be sort of bland with nothing memorable other than the taste of salmon and a good example of Sweet & Hot vs. Sweet & Spicy. With Paul at an 8 rating, Stéphane at a 6 rating, and myself at a 7 rating, a Decent (7/10) taste rating will be awarded.”
This 2 ounce/56 gram bag was purchased for $3.69, which works out to $1.85 an ounce. That rates as a very cheap price, especially considering that salmon is used.
Bag Review
This non-resealable plastic bag has a label affixed to the front and nothing on the back. There is an illustration of two salmon and red hot peppers. This bag is vacuum sealed, the best way to keep jerky fresh tasting.
There are no slogans printed on this bag. The only fact printed is “Product of Canada”. There are some things printed in Mandarin on the bag.
The only missing bag categories are a sesame allergen alert and a best before date. A lot number is provided, which could translate to a best before date.
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