Ryder's Savage Jerky - Spicy Habanero

Ryder's Savage Jerky is a brand that launched in 2017 by Monica Willoughby based out of Sacramento, CA. Monica currently markets her jerky at local farmers markets, street fairs, and online through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

She started the business as a way to create a college fund for her 5-year old son Ryder. Last year she launched a crowdfunding campaign to secure licenses, materials, and equipment. Last month she got a boost after being featured on a television news show in Sacramento.

This Spicy Habanero beef jerky has no other marketed claims other than its name, "Spicy Habanero".

Ingredients

None provided

Review

The first flavors that I taste is a savory marinade, mostly as soy sauce, but with a noticeable sweet. There's a spiciness right away and a fair amount of salt. The chewing brings on the natural meat flavors with a touch more definition of soy sauce. The habanero remains light, as does the heat.

For being named, "Spicy Habanero" it definitely is spicy, but not quite the level of what you'd expect from a habanero chile pepper. On our heat scale, this rates as a "medium hot" (level 4 out of 5). The habanero flavor is light. It doesn't have any of the signature pungent, fruity/floral character that one gets from a fresh habanero. Rather, it's a more of a general, red chile pepper flavor.

Otherwise, the primary taste profile is a sweetened soy sauce with a fair amount of spiciness over a well-done cooked steak flavor. The seasonings remind me of garlic salt but with added black and red chile pepper.

The meat consistency is overall good. These are slabs sliced thin and dehydrated to light crisp. They still retain a chewiness, however, and once chewed down soft, they have a steak-like texture. I do see a fair amount of fat streaks on these slabs and even a little bit of gristle. Nothing unchewable noted, though a fair amount of stringiness.

Verdict

This Spicy Habanero from Ryder's Savage Jerky has a nice spiciness for folks who like the heat, though it's not quite hot enough for something marketed as habanero. Moreover, this doesn't have the flavor of fresh habaneros. That signature, pungent character is missing and delivers a faint flavor more comparable to powdered red chile pepper. Otherwise, what this jerky does give you is a sweetened soy sauce marinade with a good deal of seasonings. I actually enjoyed the lightly crisp meat consistency, easy chewing, and steak-like texture. If you specifically want to enjoy the flavor of habanero chiles, this jerky is not it. But, if you're just looking for something spicy, with a lot of seasoning salt, and a sweet-savory marinade, this stuff is great.

Rating: Average (3/5)