People's Choice Beef Jerky - Garlic Ginger

People's Choice Beef Jerky launched a new flavor recently, "Garlic Ginger".

People's Choice Beef Jerky is a brand of Peoples Sausage Company, Inc. based out of Los Angeles, CA. It's a family-run business that's been around since 1929. See our previous reviews of their jerky.

This Garlic Ginger jerky is part of the company's "Tasting Kitchen" series, which is a line of jerky that mixes bold, eclectic ingredients, with the old fashioned style of making jerky. People's Choice says that this Garlic Ginger variety gives a healthy dose of garlic with the bright, counterbalance of ginger. They infused sesame seeds and sesame oil to create an Asian profile.

Ingredients

Beef, cane sugar, garlic, sesame seeds, sea salt, dehydrated bell pepper, spices, sesame seed oil, soy sauce, water.

Review

The first flavor I taste on the palate is a noticeable garlic flavor, which gradually becomes more defined. There's a light oily feel, along with a light saltiness. The chewing brings on a touch of sweet and hints of sesame. I can also pick up a light natural meat flavor, and then a subtle bell pepper.

For being labeled, "Garlic Ginger", it holds up somewhat. I do get a lot of garlic flavor, and in fact, the flavor is a lot like eating roasted garlic with some olive oil dabbled on. The ginger, however, is hard to identify. I assume it's sitting somewhere in the "spices" mentioned in the ingredients. If it's there, it's masked by the stronger garlic, and doesn't really offer any counterbalance.

Otherwise, the primary flavor profile of this jerky is the garlic. It's strong enough to overshadow the other ingredients, but doesn't burn the palate the way intense garlic can do. There's the light sweet in the chewing, touches of sesame, and a light natural meat flavor to round out the other flavors.

The meat consistency is excellent. There's some light spots and streaks of fat, but otherwise, very meaty. The chewing is tender, yet still offers some chewiness the way jerky should. The feel starts out meaty, and eventually softens up to resemble real chunks of steak. The light bits of fat add touches of flavor, and the oiliness leaves a light film on the roof of my mouth.

Verdict: This new Garlic Ginger beef jerky from People's Choice delivers a strong garlic flavor that garlic lovers will rejoice. The addition of sesame seed and sesame oil is an excellent choice that adds a touch of nutty flavor and helps create an Asian stir-fry profile. The chunks of dried bell pepper makes for great visual, while the oily texture seems to heighten the garlic intensity. I didn't really pick up any ginger flavor, however. Perhaps it's still too light to notice against the much stronger garlic. Overall, People's Choice hit a home run with the marriage between beef and garlic.

Rating: Best (5/5)