Challenge Accepted!

Last week, I posted a lengthy rant about my personal aversion to jerky. Yes, as in dried meat. You wouldn't think that I'd have so much to say about a simple snack, but I'm a redhead and that means I come with opinions.


The folks over at Perky Jerky found my blog post, and bet me that they could change my stubborn mind.

{via Wallpaper Stock}

Perky Jerky is a jerky company that seems like it was created to disprove every preconceived notion I had about jerky. In reality (no, the world does not revolve around me), they created their product on a fluke when two dudes accidentally spilled some energy drink on their jerky while skiing (sounds like something some of my friends would do), hence the name "perky" jerky.


My first gripe about jerky was that it has the potential to be a healthy, high-protein, low-carb snack, but most brands load their snack full of unnatural preservatives. Perky Jerky shut down this theory pretty quickly. Their jerky only has eight ingredients:

• meat (beef or turkey, depending on which you buy)
• soy sauce (unfortunately, this means that the jerky isn't gluten-free)
• brown sugar
• lemon juice
• garlic
• pepper
• guarana (oh hey there, caffeine)
• organic Worcestershire sauce

I'm a sucker for simple, natural ingredients. But how did it measure up in terms of calories and good fat vs. bad fat? See for yourself:

The calories and the fat numbers look great, and the turkey jerky is low in sodium, too.

My second complaint was that jerky packaging is marketed almost exclusively towards men. Not only is Perky Jerky's look gender-neutral, I think it's actually kind of stylish:

My next issue with jerky was that I've always thought of it as a redneck snack. And that's not to say that I think those of you who do enjoy jerky are rednecks! That marketing strategy makes sense - jerky was first created by rural settlers who didn't have access to fresh meat. Jerky was a strategy used to help people get protein in a safe manner. When jerky companies market their product towards this population, they're staying true to their roots and I respect that. Still, it makes me feel like it's not meant for snobby urban people like me (hey, at least I admit it). Perky Jerky feeds into this stereotype with a NASCAR sponsorship...

{via Perky Jerky}

...but they also sponsor the PGA tour, so now I'm just receiving conflicting messages.

{via Perky Jerky}

Then, I learned that Perky Jerky sponsors something even more interesting than golf:

{via Perky Jerky}

A portion of Perky Jerky's proceeds benefit several foundations for Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy and Down Syndrome. A snack with a cause is definitely something I can get behind.

Finally, and probably most importantly, I just didn't find jerky appealing or appetizing. This complaint wasn't entirely fair, as I had never really tried jerky before. I opened up the packages that Perky Jerky sent me to find an appearance that I had expected, but I was pleasantly surprised by the mouth-watering teriyaki smell. Upon closer inspection, I noticed specks of cracked peppercorn on the turkey jerky. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

So what did I think of the taste? Well, in order to fully convey my genuine response to first trying jerky, I decided to record some video. Enjoy!

I'm still not convinced that jerky is my thing. The taste was better than I thought it would be, but the texture may take some getting used to! Perhaps jerky is an acquired taste. Over all, I truly feel that Perky Jerky proved most of my preconceived notions to be incorrect. Thanks for calling me on my shallowness, Perky Jerky, and thanks for introducing me to a new product!

Have any of you tried Perky Jerky? How does it compare to other brands that you've tried?

Disclaimer: Perky Jerky offered me complimentary jerky samples in return for editorial consideration, but everything in this review is my own unbiased opinion.