Papa Sal’s is a jerky brand offering various beef jerky products. The brand is known for its “premium” beef jerky, emphasizing quality ingredients and robust flavors. Papa Sal’s offers a variety of jerky options, including classic beef flavors and unique recipes tailored to jerky enthusiasts seeking something distinct. Some key products under the Papa Sal’s label feature different seasoning blends and styles, aiming to cater to diverse taste preferences.
The jerky is marketed through Oceanside Distributors’ platform, making it available for online purchase and distribution across various markets. This Papa Sal’s jerky brand is distributed under the name H & S Distributor, located in Woodland, California.
The first review on Papa Sal’s will focus on a 3.75 ounce/106 gram bag of Original flavored beef jerky. This bag was purchased at a gas station in Cerritos, California.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Brown Sugar, Water, Less Than 2% of: Honey, Natural Flavors, Apple Juice Concentrate, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Sodium Nitrite.
The beef used is not guaranteed to be free of growth hormones or additional antibiotics. Also, the beef is not 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 Good (8/10) rating.
The liquid marinade is comprised of water, healthy honey, healthy apple juice concentrate, and lemon juice concentrate.
The vague term natural flavors is listed as an ingredient. Natural flavors can contain healthy and unhealthy ingredients.
The sugar level is off the charts high at 13 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky to lose a rating. Our preference is 3 grams of sugar or under per 28 grams of jerky. The salt level is high at 530mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky to lose another rating.
This jerky does not qualify to have no sodium nitrite added as sodium nitrite is used outright as a preservative to lose a rating. Admirably, there is no MSG added.
Average (5/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
PAPA SAL’S – ORIGINAL BEEF JERKY
Written by guest jerky reviewer Paul Rekker
When I open the bag I smell what I believe to be soy. Not sure though. The jerky pieces are small in size and sliced rather thin. The jerky is chewy and dry(ish), not too bad.
When I bite into the jerky I am immediately inundated with the sweetness. Way too d*mn sweet!! I taste ever so mild salt, along with ever so mild pepper. There is nothing else really, just intense sweet.
I am not impressed. I’m ready to give the rest of the jerky to my dogs unless you want it.
I must go no higher than a 5/10, but my gut is telling me lower. More like a 3, but we’ll leave it at 5.
Here is what Mark had to say about this Original beef jerky flavor from Papa Sal’s: “Thanks Paul for the candid taste review. I totally agree that this flavor is sweet tasting. It is not just sweetness from the brown sugar but also the sweetness from the apple juice and lemon juice concentrates. It should be noted that Paul is not much of a fan of fruit, while I generally love fruit. An original flavor is supposed to feature the natural flavor of beef but that is drowned out significantly by the sweetness.”
“The natural beef flavor is average tasting, but again that is hard to discern with all the sweetness. I do seem to pick up on light levels or garlic, onion, and smokiness. Other than that, there is not much else with simple taste profile. With Paul at a 5 and myself at a 6, an Alright (6/10) taste rating will be awarded.”
This 3.75 ounce/106 gram bag of jerky was purchased for $8.49, which equates to $2.27 an ounce. That rates as a cheap price.
Bag Review
This clear, resealable bag has labels affixed to the front and back. The Papa Sal’s logo has an illustration Papa Sal wearing a bowler hat. This bag is vacuum sealed, which is the best way to keep the jerky fresh and tasting.
A slogan printed on this bag is “Quality Matters!”, Some facts printed are “Premium Beef Jerky”, “Made in the USA”, and “Enjoy a Bag of Papa Sal’s Favorite Jerky with Your Friends and Family”.
There are no missing bag categories. A good blurb about Papa Sal’s is printed on the back.
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