Astro Fresh Jerky - Original

Astro Fresh Jerky is a brand owned by HJP Trading, LLC based out of Los Angeles, CA. It was started by Roy Park in early 2015 who found an old family recipe that dated back to the late 1980s.

Since then, Roy has been selling his jerky in local markets and retailers in California. Recently they started a website and are now taking online orders.

Astro Fresh Jerky currently lists 10 varieties of beef jerky and 1 variety of chicken jerky.

Ingredients

Beef, brown sugar, teriyaki sauce, spice, vinegar, garlic, onion, sodium nitrite

Review

The first flavors that hit my palate are a noticeable sweet and saltiness. The chewing brings on the teriyaki sauce along with some noticeable onion.

I'd describe the primary taste profile as being largely a teriyaki jerky, much like Kikkoman teriyaki sauce, in the most plain and ordinary way. Aside from some extra sweet and a boost of garlic and onion, there's nothing unique or unusual to report. I don't even taste any natural meat flavor.

Considering this jerky is marketed as, "Original", it tastes pretty mild and unremarkable.

The meat consistency seems average, with some noticeable streaks of fat and plenty of stringiness in the chewing. The chewing starts out with a soft, rubbery texture, and through the chewing becomes somewhat gummy from the heavy sweet. It has a somewhat meaty chewing texture, perhaps comparable to a skirt steak cooked rare, but it's actually more gummy and mushy. I found some drier pieces that chewed more tough.

Verdict

This Original beef jerky from Astro Fresh Jerky has a very mild, yet unremarkable flavor largely consisting of teriyaki sauce, much like the Kikkoman brand. Though it does taste a little more sweet, and has some additional garlic and onion seasoning, it has a very plain, regular taste. The meat consistency seemed average compared to national brands of jerky, and the chewing varies from mushy to tough. At best, it still manages to generate a fair amount of snackability for its sweet, salty, and savory taste profile. But overall, this jerky sits very much with the likes of a Jack Link's Teriyaki or Bridgford Teriyaki.

Rating: Average (3/5)