About Baja Vida
Baja Vida is what happens when a French Laundry alum decides the jerky aisle has stalled. The brand is based in Solana Beach, California. It started out as Baja Jerky; the site frames the rename as a new chapter, “vida” for the life Baja gives. Chef Brandon Rodgers spent over a year at The French Laundry, then served as chef de cuisine at Benu, where he helped it gain three Michelin stars. At the very beginning of Covid, the three restaurants he oversaw closed temporarily. He had a longstanding relationship with Baja Vida’s beef supplier, so he started consulting on the flavors and some of the marketing. It quickly became a full-time project. The brand now says its snacks and seasonings are crafted by that Michelin-star chef.
JerkyBrands carries the Baja Vida lineup across beef.
What makes Baja Vida different
Rodgers describes fresh-marinating the meat, which he calls uncommon in the category, with fresh produce blended in, and says the brand uses no nitrates, MSG or fillers. The cut is inside round, and the FAQ says the Holstein cattle are born and raised in Brawley, California. The recipes are tied to places: the street-taco flavor was inspired by the street fairs and tacos of Baja and all over Mexico, the salsa flavor by pico de gallo, and the orange flavor by the orange trees of Southern California. Every jerky page carries Gluten Free, No Added MSG and Made in the USA badges.
Baja Vida flavors we carry
The whole range is beef, rated by the brand for Sweet and Heat. If you want mild, start with the Natural, Smoky, Smooth classic at Heat 2, or the Sweet, Citrus, Tender one billed at Sweet 5 and Heat 1. The middle is where Baja shows up: a Fresh, Vibrant, Cool jerky at Heat 3, a Bright, Bold, Bangin’ pepper jerky billed as zero sugar at the same number, and a Fresh, Balanced, Sizzlin’ street-taco jerky with cilantro and chipotle at Heat 4. At the top, a Light, Tangy, Heat with a Zest serrano-and-lime jerky is billed at Heat 7, the highest on the brand’s scale so far. The classic fits with other original beef jerky, the pepper flavor with peppered beef jerky, and the hotter ones with spicy beef jerky, all inside the full beef jerky collection. Everything currently in stock is in the grid above.
Who it’s for
Heat runs from 1 to 7 as the brand rates it, so there is a mild lane and a hot one. Expect a tender chew. Every bag is described as gluten free with no added nitrates, nitrites or MSG, according to the manufacturer. Read the labels if you have allergies: tamari puts soy in every carried flavor, the classic is labeled Contains Soy & Anchovies, the pepper flavor’s manufacturer list includes Worcestershire with anchovies, the orange flavor lists sesame oil, and several list honey.
JerkyBrands is an independent retailer; the Baja Vida name and logo are trademarks of their owner.
