Jim's Jerky - Safari Bites

Next in the series on Jim's Jerky are these Safari Bites. See my previous reviews of their Garlic and Chilli varieties.

Jim's Jerky is a brand of Temba Meats based out of Charlton, Queensland, Australia. Read my previous review of their biltong. The company is run by Jim and Cathie Tanner who bought the meat processor in 2004. Temba Meats is what produces Jim's Biltong and Jim's Jerky. Temba Meats was previously operated by a South African couple who made biltong and jerky in small quantities.

There's nothing on this package to explain what "Safari" is supposed to taste like, or what it's supposed to reflect or represent. We'll just have to find out what it tastes like.

Ingredients

Beef, sugar, salt, hydrolysed vegetable protein, coriander, spices.

Taste

The first thing I taste from the surface of these pieces is a light coriander seed flavor, with a light to moderate amount of saltiness.

The chewing flavor starts with a stronger coriander, an increased saltiness, and a little bit of garlic. There's just a light bit of natural meat flavor.

Considering Jim's Jerky doesn't offer a regular or original variety of jerky, perhaps that's what this "Safari" flavor is. This jerky seems to offer the base flavor that I found in their Garlic and Chilli varieties.

It's largely focused on two flavors, the coriander seed and a moderate amount of saltiness. I pick up just a touch of garlic, enough to give it some interest, and then a very light natural meat flavor.

The sugar listed in the ingredients is very light, almost unnoticeable, but I do sense it's presence barely.

Meat Consistency

These are slices of whole meat, sliced into small, bite sized pieces, sliced medium thickness.

This is a dry jerky with a dry surface feel. They have a light amount of flexibility, but will crack open with a little bit of bending. It's a bit chewy to start off with, but overall it tends to be easy to eat due to how small the pieces are.

The chewing texture starts off feeling dry and stiff. There's a fair amount of initial chewing resistance. After several chews, it starts to break down and soften up. Once chewed down a soft mass, it has a meaty feel, though not quite like eating a piece of steak. Some pieces are mushy, like a steak cooked rare, others tend to stay a little dry, not really meshing together.

These pieces appear to be very lean, seeing no bits of fat anywhere. I don't feel anything unchewable, nothing stringy, and no tendon gristle.

It's also very clean eating. No residue on my fingers, and the small bite sized pieces don't require any tearing or biting off.




Snack Value

Jim's Jerky sells these Safari Bites at a price of $40.00 AUD for a 500g package. That works out to $0.080 per gram.

For general jerky snacking purposes, at the $0.080 per gram price, it seems to present a decent value. I'm getting an average amount of snackability due to an overall satisfying flavor, an average chewing texture, though easy eating and good meat consistency. That price seems to be at the lower end of other Australian jerky brands I've found online, and it's only because of that lower price that it manages to offer some value.

Rating

I'm giving this an average rating.

These Safari Bites from Jim's Jerky seems to do a good job in providing the meat snacker with a snackable flavor, consisting mostly of coriander seed and salt, with decent chewing satisfaction and good meat consistency.

Flavorwise, this appears to be the company's base flavor, the platform by which their other flavors extend upon. It's satisfying in a simple way, but I prefer something more complex, and would like to get more of the natural meat flavors.

It seems the coriander seed flavor is more pronounced in these Safari Bites than in Jim's other flavors, and maybe that's due to this having a less complex flavor.

My recommended beer pairing for this, go with something more refreshing, but still with some hoppy finish to cleanse the palate. Try the Samuel Adams Boston Lager, or the Firestone Walker Double Barrel Ale.

Rating: Average

Buy this online:

• http://www.jimsjerky.com.au/