Gold Emblem – Korean BBQ Beef Jerky

Gold Emblem started appearing in stores several years ago. This Gold Emblem jerky brand seems to be a replacement for the Clover Valley jerky brand, although that is not verified. While CVS Pharmacy, Inc. distributes this jerky, I generally refer to this jerky as Dollar Store jerky. The quality of Dollar Store jerky has come a long way in the last 15 years.

Gold Emblem is a private-label brand exclusively available at CVS Pharmacy, one of the largest pharmacy chains in the United States. The Gold Emblem brand offers a wide range of food and beverage products that cater to various dietary preferences and needs. The Gold Emblem brand is designed to offer affordable alternatives to national brands, making it an attractive choice for budget-conscious shoppers. The Gold Emblem jerky brand is distributed under the name of CVS Pharmacy, Inc., and it is located in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. This jerky is believed to be manufactured by the private label company Marfood USA, located in Taylor, Michigan, meaning it is a stock recipe.

The next review on Gold Emblem will focus on a 2.85 ounce/81 gram bag of their Korean Barbecue flavored beef jerky. This flavor is described as being marinated in traditional Asian flavors like soy sauce, mirin, and sesame. The bag was purchased at a CVS Pharmacy in Lewiston, New York.

Ingredient Review

Ingredients: Beef, Sugar, Water, Gluten-Free Soy Sauce (Water, Soybeans, Sugar), Salted Mirin (Water, Dextrose, Rice, Corn Syrup, Salt), Sesame Oil, Sesame Seed, Celery Powder (Cultured Celery Powder, Sea Salt), Garlic.    Allergen Warnings: Soy

The pork used is guaranteed to be raised ethically with no antibiotics and no added hormones. This pork is not guaranteed to have at least partial free range access to roam about outside. As a result, the highest ingredient rating that can be awarded is a Very Good (9/10) rating.

The liquid marinade is comprised of water, an average brand of mirin wine, super healthy sesame oil, and a gluten-free soy sauce.

Some healthy ingredients added are garlic and sesame seeds.

The sugar level is sky high at 10 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky to lose a rating. Our preference is 5 grams or less of sugar per 28 grams of jerky for a sweet based flavor as we have here. The salt level is a little high at 400mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky to lose another rating. Our preference is 350mg of salt or less per 28 grams of jerky.

This jerky does qualify to have no sodium nitrite. Instead, salt is the main preservative and celery powder to a lesser degree. Admirably, this jerky does qualify to have no MSG added.

Alright (6/10) – Ingredient Rating

Taste Review

GOLD EMBLEM – KOREAN BBQ BEEF JERKY

When I open the bag, I can smell the sesame and beef. These strips are mostly sliced to a medium size and almost sliced thick. The texture is fairly soft and relatively easy to chew. There is no oily residue left on your fingers handling these strips of jerky.

The first flavors I encounter are mild saltiness, moderate sweetness, a mild level of soy, light sesame, and faint garlic. While there is some Asian flair present, the sweetness tends to overpower. There is not much natural beef flavor present, in large part due to the sweetness.

This flavor has hints of a Korean BBQ flavor but not an authentic tasting Korean BBQ flavor. The sugar level is too high for my liking, but that is debatable. It would have been nice to have the garlic level amped up and perhaps a hint of ginger. Overall, it is a reasonable representation of a Korean BBQ flavor but contains no ‘wow’ factor.

This 2.85 ounce/81 gram bag of jerky sells for $7.49, which equates to $2.63 an ounce. That rates as a cheap price.

Alright (6/10) – Taste Rating

Bag Review

This resealable professional-looking plastic bag has everything imprinted on the bag, including the front and back. There is a high-resolution picture of jerky strips on the front, a bowl of soy sauce, cucumbers, and garlic.

A slogan printed on this bag is “We’re Gold Emblem: Our Standard is Delicious”. Some facts printed on this bag are “Soft And Tender”, “Artisan Cuts”, “No Artificial Preservatives, Nitrites, or Artificial Ingredients”, “Hand-Crafted”, “10g Protein Per Serving”, “90 Calories”, “0g Sat Fat”, “400mg Sodium”, and “10g Sugars”.

There are no bag categories missing. On the back is a good blurb about this flavor. To the credit of CVS Pharmacy, a toll-free number is provided for customer inquiries.

Excellent (10/10) – Bag Rating