The next review on Golden Valley Natural will focus on a 3 ounce/85 gram bag of their sweet n’ spicy flavored buffalo O’s jerky. This bag was purchased as part of an online order in 2014.
This jerky is manufactured and distributed under the same name, Golden Valley Natural. They are located in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Since 1968, they have been the leading producer of natural and organic meat snacks in the United States. Their beef, buffalo, and turkey are sourced from 15,000 of the finest livestock, all ethically raised on the lush green pastures of the majestic western ranchland.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Buffalo, Sugar, Soy Sauce Powder (Wheat, Soybeans, Salt), Apple Cider Vinegar, Salt, Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, Natural Smoke Flavoring, Black Pepper, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder. Allergen Warnings: Soy, Wheat
Compared to beef, buffalo meat has a better Omega 6 to Omega 3 fatty acid ratio. The buffalo are ethically raised with no growth hormones, or additional antibiotics given. These buffalo are ranch raised, with some free range access to graze on grass. However, this Buffalo O’s product uses highly processed chopped and formed meat.
The liquid marinade only consists of very healthy apple cider vinegar. In this case, the soy sauce is in powdered form.
The sugar level is slightly on the higher side with 5 grams of sugar per 28 grams of jerky. Our preference is 3 grams of sugar or less. The salt level is respectable at 280mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky.
As advertised, this jerky has no sodium nitrite added. Instead, primarily just salt is the main preservative used. Admirably, this jerky qualifies to have no MSG added.
Fair (4/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
These Buffalo O’s are all identical in size, with eight buffalo O’s in each bag. That is achieved by using highly processed chopped and formed meat. The texture is soft and tender. You can tear this jerky in any direction, where the meat has no natural grain. There are no visible signs of fat, and handling this jerky leaves a slightly oily residue on your fingers.
Easily the first taste detected is a processed meat flavor, which is the dominant overall flavor. There is a moderate soy taste. For a flavor advertised as sweet n’ spicy, it is barely spicy at all. These buffalo O’s are moderately sweet tasting.
This 3 ounce/85 gram bag of jerky sells online for $6.19. That works out to $2.06 an ounce, which rates as an average price. That is actually a fairly cheap price for buffalo jerky. We are told that their main audience is for people who enjoy the very easy to chew texture. If you are intent on getting a chopped and formed flavor, this jerky is likely the best chopped and formed product that you can find.
Very Bad (2/10) – Taste Rating
Bag Review
This is a standard resealable plastic bag. There are labels affixed on both the front and back of this bag. Pictured is a fairly high resolution picture of a buffalo on the front. The Golden Valley Natural logo is a cowboy with a lasso riding a horse.
Their slogan is “Flavor of the West”. Facts displayed on this bag are “No Artificial Ingredients”, “High Protein”, “Minimally Processed”, “Low Fat”, “Natural Smoke Flavoring Added”, “No Preservatives”, “No Erythorbate”, “No Added MSG”, “No Nitrite”, and “Buffalo Raised Without Added Hormones and Without Antibiotics”.
All major bag categories are covered except one. There is no blurb printed about Golden Valley Natural, or this flavor. To the credit of Golden Valley Natural, they provide a toll free phone number for customer inquiries.
Order their jerky online: www.goldenvalleynatural.com
Leave a Comment