Fancy Food Find: Perky Jerky
In the “Fancy Food Find” series, take a closer look at some of the treats on display at the 2015 Winter Fancy Food Show.
Remember the chewy, bland slabs of meat you can find hidden in the dusty corners of convenience stores and gas stations? It was that sort of inedible snack that inspired the meat snack entrepreneurs behind Perky Jerky on a fateful skiing trip in 2006. Founders and self-titled “jerks” Brian Levin and Matt Keiser’s goal was to create “the filet mignon of jerkies,” and they may have very well succeeded.
Levin and Keiser partnered with jerky maker Kenny Croucher to concoct the perfect snack. Perky Jerky uses only all natural ingredients with no added preservatives, nitrites, or MSG. Moreover, the jerky contains guarana, a tropical caffeine-producing plant that adds an energy boost. It is sold in beef and turkey varieties, each in four different flavors: Original, Teriyaki, Hot & Bothered, and Sweet & Spicy. A fifth Jamaican Style flavor for turkey jerky was recently launched at WFFS15.
I was impressed with how tender both the beef and turkey jerkies were; it practically matched the texture of unpackaged fresh jerky as sold in Hong Kong and Macau (a stateside example of that can be found at New York’s Ling Kee Beef Jerky). The Jamaican Style turkey Perky Jerky (say that three times fast!) is a personal favorite with its zesty kick from jerk spices and peppers. As a national park enthusiast, I can vouch that this is an excellent protein source on a midday hike. Whether you’re a college student with the midnight munchies, an athlete seeking a pre-game boost, or someone simply seeking a new snack to try, this may be next on your treats-to-try list.
As a bonus, know that you can eat good and do good at the same time. Perky Jerky donates a portion of its earnings to Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and Down Syndrome research. Perky Jerky can be purchased online or at retailers including Whole Foods, Target, Walmart, Walgreens, and more.