Cima Mining Company is a quirky, roadside jerky brand and gourmet snack that originally grew out of a renovated 1950s Stuckey’s convenience store and restaurant along Interstate-15 about 25 miles south of the California/Nevada border. In addition to being a full service gas station and travel stop with nostalgic charm and over 200 varieties of bottled sodas, the company is best known for its large selection of handcrafted, gourmet jerky offered in numerous flavors and styles including beef, elk, buffalo, chicken, and more exotic options like alligator and ahi tuna, that’s made and packaged in the USA.
Rather than being solely a jerky producer in the traditional sense, Cima Mining Co. blends its jerky offerings with a broader travel store experience, featuring all-natural snacks, nostalgic candies, souvenirs, and refreshments. Over the years, it has become a memorable must stop for travelers, known not just for its jerky but also for its unique atmosphere and roadside attractions that celebrate classic American highway culture.
This Cima Mining Co. brand is distributed under the same name as Cima Mining Co., located in Nipton, California. The jerky is manufactured by Settler’s Jerky Inc., located in Walnut, California.
The first review on Cima Mining Co. will focus on a 3.3 ounce/90 gram bag of Buffalo Wing flavored chicken jerky. This bag was purchased at a Shell gas station in Baker, California.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Chicken, Frank’s Hot Sauce (Aged Cayenne Red Peppers, Distilled Vinegar, Water, Salt, and Garlic Powder), Sugar, Jerky Seasoning (Salt, Spices, Sugar, Dehydrated Garlic, Dextrose, Paprika, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Spice Extracts, Garlic Flavor, Sunflower Oil (mfg. aid)), Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, Honey, Corn Syrup Solids, Vinegar, Sodium Nitrite.
The chickens used are raised in the USA. There is no guarantee that the chickens used have not been administered growth hormones or additional antibiotics. The chickens used are not guaranteed to have free range access to roam about. As a result, the highest ingredient rating that can be awarded is a Good (8/10) rating.
The liquid marinade used here contains the respected brand of Frank’s Hot Sauce, healthy honey, healthy vinegar, and sunflower oil.
Some healthy ingredients added are paprika, spice extractives, spices, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder.
The sugar level is somewhat high at 6 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky to lose a rating. Our preference is 4 grams of sugar or less for a hot based flavor. The salt level is very low at 100mg of salt per 28 grams.
This jerky does not qualify to be sodium nitrite free, 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 flavor enhancer hydrolyzed vegetable protein is used to lose another rating.
Average (5/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
CIMA MINING CO. – BUFFALO WING CHICKEN JERKY
Written by guest jerky reviewer Paul Rekker
When I open the bag I smell sour. Not much else. The jerky is sliced into strips, and it is cut to a medium thickness. The jerky is relatively soft and mildly chewy. The jerky is slightly moist, and a bit of oiliness remains on your fingertips.
When I bite into the jerky, I taste salt at a decent level, minimal sweetness, decent pepper and garlic, and natural beef. As I eat more, I am picking up on the buffalo flavor, it has a bit of a kick. Also picking up on the fact that it is chicken, and not beef. But, even still, I am actually enjoying this flavor, it is surprisingly tasty. I would have preferred beef, but it is still quite tasty. A 9/10 in my estimation. Gentlemen?
Here is what Mark had to say about this Buffalo Wing chicken jerky flavor from Cima Mining Co.: “Thanks Paul for the straightforward taste review. We agree on some aspects here. The famous flavor name ‘Buffalo Wing’ almost assures this is chicken, not beef, so there is zero problem there. The Buffalo Wing aspect comes across fairly well but could be more well defined and spicier. On a heat scale, this Buffalo Wing flavor would rate a 2 out of 5 at best or closer to a 1 out of 5. Normally, a Buffalo Wing flavor would rate closer to a 3 out of 5 on the scale, or a 2 out of 4, which was sort of a disappointment.”
“The natural flavor of chicken is what you would expect, and there is no hint at all of this chicken tasting processed. I would not term the texture as relatively soft, it is closer to dry and requires a reasonable effort to chew. I would not term the sweetness as minimal, more at a mild level, which seems unneeded but at an acceptable level. Overall, this Buffalo Wing chicken jerky was a pleasure to eat but lacks some of the ‘wow’ factor. With Paul at a 9 and myself at an 8, a Very Good (9/10) taste rating will be awarded.”
This 3.3 ounce/90 gram bag of jerky sold for $9.99, which equates to $3.03 an ounce. That rates as an average price.
Excellent (10/10) – Taste Rating
Bag Review
This gold plastic resealable bag has a label affixed to the front and nothing on the back. There is an illustration of what appears to be an old fashioned picture of two men mining for gold.
There are no slogans printed on this bag. Some facts printed are “Handcrafted”, Gourmet Jerky”, “Premium Quality”, and “Made in U.S.A.”.
The only missing bag category is a blurb about this jerky or flavor.
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