About Kaimana Jerky
In Hawaiian, kaimana means “the power of the sea,” and the name suits a brand built on the islands’ old practice of drying fish. Kaimana Jerky describes itself as a family-run business rooted in Hawaii. The family started experimenting with fish jerky back in the 1980s and found it delicious. Friends and relatives loved it too, so they started a business and began selling to local stores in Hawaii. It now sits in grocery chains across the state, including KTA, Foodland and Costco Hawaii. The brand says it has been handcrafting fish jerky for more than 25 years.
What makes Kaimana Jerky different
Everything is made, seasoned and packaged in one facility in Kailua-Kona on the Big Island. The tuna is wild-caught in the Pacific, never farmed, most of it within 50 miles of the facility; the salmon is wild Alaska salmon and the wahoo wild-caught ono. The fish is marinated, slow-dried and hand-cut, with no added MSG or nitrates. The facility is inspected yearly by the FDA and works with the Hawaii Seafood Council on sustainable sourcing for its ahi.
Kaimana Jerky flavors we carry
Start with the wild-caught ahi tuna jerky: the original carries hickory smoke flavor, the teriyaki is marinated in a homemade sauce, the honey-glazed style adds a light sweetness, and lemon salt is lighter and citrus-forward. For heat, the peppered ahi is described as moderate black-pepper warmth rather than chili heat, and the sriracha ahi is billed as medium-to-hot. Hawaiian Warrior is the outlier: soy-free, sugar-free and much drier than the rest. The wild Alaska salmon jerky runs smoky and savory in the original and sweet and savory in the teriyaki, and the spicy version brings a mild, peppery kick.
Wahoo, called ono in Hawaii, is a white fish the brand describes as mild, slightly sweet and firm. The island-citrus wahoo is zesty with lime and cilantro and no heat called out, the spicy hot chili is sweet, hot and umami, and the Smokin’ Hickory OG is smoky and salty with hickory smoke flavor. It rounds out the fish jerky collection. Everything currently in stock is in the grid above.
Who it’s for
If you like heat, the sriracha ahi and spicy hot chili wahoo are the ones described as hot; salmon and citrus styles are gentler. The ahi and salmon are described as tender and hand-cut, with Hawaiian Warrior the firm, dry exception. The other ahi and the wahoo flavors contain fish, wheat and soy, the sriracha ahi also contains sulfites, and the salmon lists fish and soy, so check each bag if you have an allergy.
JerkyBrands is an independent retailer; the Kaimana Jerky name and logo are trademarks of their owner.
