Ed Eaton is vegan and along with his wife Katie, launched Detroit Jerky in September 2020. Detroit Jerky dreams of a glorious world where everyone can enjoy delicious meaty snacks without all the crazy animal cruelty and potential health risks! They wanted to create healthier jerky that is genuinely sustainable, has less of an environmental footprint, doesn’t hurt anyone or anything, and can be enjoyed by meat eaters and vegans alike! They knew it had to be good. In fact, it had to be REALLY good because they don’t just want vegans or vegetarians to love it.
They want to show the meat eating world that they can have something more delicious than they could ever have imagined! Their protein packed plant-based jerky is sure to surprise you! Detroit Jerky is distributed under the name of Detroit Jerky LLC, and it is located in Livonia, Michigan. The jerky is manufactured in Plymouth, Michigan.
The first review on Detroit Jerky will focus on a 3 ounce/85 gram bag of their Hickory Cracked Pepper flavored vegan jerky. This flavor is described as being slathered in their Hickory BBQ Sauce and tossed with cracked pepper being a savory snack with that cracked peppery goodness! The jerky was kindly submitted for review by cofounder Katie Eatmon.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Non-GMO Textured Soy Protein (Whole Bean), Water, BBQ Sauce (Tomato Sauce, Vegan Ketchup, Vegan Sugar, Molasses, Apple Cider Vinegar, Liquid Smoke, Black Pepper, Garlic Powder, Chili Powder, Onion Powder, Smoked Paprika, Mustard Powder), Vegetable Glycerin, Kosher Salt, Cracked Pepper, Citric Acid. Allergen Warnings: Soy
Non-GMO soy protein is a controversial food with respect to health benefits. Non-GMO soy protein contains all of the essential amino acids that your body cannot make. Some concerns about non-GMO soy protein are that they contain phytates, isoflavones that can interfere with thyroid function, and phytoestrogen, which can disrupt natural hormone levels in the body. As a result, the highest ingredient rating that can be awarded is a Good (8/10) rating.
The liquid marinade consists of water and a wholesome homemade barbecue sauce, which includes healthy apple cider vinegar, tomato sauce, and liquid smoke.
Some healthy ingredients added are cracked black pepper, not including the various spices added to the homemade barbecue sauce.
The sugar level is acceptable at 3 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky. The salt level is very high at 690mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky to lose a rating. Our preference is 350mg of salt or less per 28 grams of jerky.
This jerky does qualify to have no sodium nitrite or any other similar unhealthy preservative. Admirably, this jerky does qualify to be MSG free.
Decent (7/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
DETROIT JERKY – HICKORY CRACKED PEPPER VEGAN JERKY
Written by guest jerky reviewer Paul Rekker
When I open the bag I smell soy. I’m not in favor of the smell emanating from the bag. Some are pieces, while others are mere morsels, too small to actually call pieces. The hue of the jerky is light, which to me, would mean minimal marinade. The jerky is soft, moist, and chewy, and it leaves an ever so slight amount of residue on your fingers.
When I bite into the “jerky”, I am met with flavors such as salt, at a decent level, pepper, also at a decent level, sweet, way too sweet, slight garlic, and not much else, except vegan (wannabe beef), which is NOT what our forefathers intended. This jerky tastes terrible. It is a carnivore’s nightmare.
I can only rate this jerky as a 3 or 4/10 as it is missing on every count. I don’t taste any hickory, not enough pepper to actually call it “cracked pepper”. This jerky flavor is a colossal disappointment. It’s a 3 dressed up as a 9. I’m out folks
Here is what Mark had to say about this Hickory Cracked Pepper vegan jerky flavor from Detroit Jerky: “Thanks Paul for the frank taste review. Paul is being too harsh here in my opinion. True, neither of us enjoys textured soy protein at all, but there is a market that does. With my biases aside, this is perhaps the best vegan jerky reviewed to date, where it was not totally offensive.”
“Regarding the hickory cracked pepper flavor aspect. As with Paul, I too did not detect any hickory flavor. There is only a light kick from the cracked pepper present, but in fairness to Detroit Jerky, I did not consume enough strips to see how much the cracked pepper flavor intensifies.”
“Unlike Paul, I found the level of sweetness to be at an acceptable level while not going overboard. With Paul at a 4 rating and myself at a Good (8/10) taste rating, an Alright (6/10) taste rating will be awarded.”
This 3 ounce/85 gram bag of jerky sells for $6.99. That works out to $2.33 an ounce, which rates at an average price.
Bag Review
This resealable plastic bag has no labels affixed to the front or back. There are a variety of peppercorns displayed on the bag.
There are no slogans printed. Some facts printed are “Plant Based”, “Cruelly Free”, “Delicious”, “Savory And Peppery Kick”, “Scan Us. Find Us. Follow Us.”, and “Made In Michigan”.
The only missing bag categories are a transparent window to view the jerky and a blurb about this jerky or brand. A QR code is displayed on the back linking back to the Detroit Jerky website.
Order their jerky online: www.detroitjerkyllc.com
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