The next review for KRAVE Jerky will be on a 3.25 ounce/92 gram bag of their garlic chili pepper flavor. This bag was kindly submitted by the KRAVE Jerky team.
The KRAVE Jerky brand name is distributed by Krave Pure Foods, Inc., located in Sonoma, California. Not too long ago, the Hershey’s chocolate company acquired KRAVE Jerky. The company was envisioned by Jon Sebastian in 2009, while training for the NYC marathon. Today, KRAVE Jerky has an impressive distribution network in Canada and the USA. Their jerky is entirely gluten-free, and devoid of nitrites, MSG, and corn syrup.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Evaporated Cane Syrup, Low Sodium Gluten Free Soy Sauce (Water, Soybeans, Salt, Alcohol), Garlic Chili Sauce (Chili, Garlic, Vinegar, Sugar, Salt), Spices, Garlic Powder, Sea Salt, Celery Juice Powder. Allergen Warnings: Soy
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 consists of evaporated cane syrup, low sodium gluten free soy sauce, and garlic chili sauce. That is pretty much the entire ingredient list excluding some healthy spices. As sauces go, there are no bad ingredients used.
Garlic is one of the healthiest vegetables out there. Chili peppers are also healthy if eaten in moderation.
The sugar level is quite high at 8 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky. Our preference is 3 grams of sugar or less. The salt level is high also at 460mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky. However, some of that is negated because minimally processed sea salt is used.
This jerky does qualify to be sodium nitrite free. Admirably, celery juice powder is the main preservative used, which has naturally occurring nitrates. Vinegar to a lesser degree also helps preserve the beef. With more kudos to KRAVE Jerky, this jerky has no MSG added.
Decent (7/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
These strips are mostly large in size, and sliced to a medium thickness. This jerky has a soft and tender texture, where chewing this jerky is very easy. There are no visible signs of fat anywhere, and handling this jerky leaves no oily residue on your fingers.
No particular taste jumps out at first. The sweetness level is fairly strong, a bit too strong. There is some garlic flavor, but nothing more than a mild level at best. The soy taste is mild also, and there is some natural beef flavor.
In regards to being hot tasting, there is some heat to this jerky, but not a great deal. You could say the heat level is at a mild to medium level, depending on your tolerance for spicy foods.
This 3.25 ounce/92 gram bag sells online for $7.00. That works out to $2.15 an ounce, which rates as an average price. This jerky is ideal for people who enjoy a soft and tender texture, and a mildly spicy tasting jerky.
Bag Review
This is a standard resealable plastic bag. Everything is imprinted directly on the bag itself, both on the front and back. There are no labels affixed. There are many random images and jerky sayings in the red part of this bag.
The KRAVE Jerky logo is of a person running. Some slogans printed on this bag are “Live a Cut Above”, “Move. Eat. Live. KRAVE.”, and “ENJOY”.
All bag categories are covered here with this bag. There is a great blurb printed on the back of this bag describing KRAVE Jerky and the garlic chili pepper flavor.
Excellent (10/10) – Bag Rating
Order their jerky online: www.kravejerky.com
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