About KRAVE
A brand that calls its own jerky a super snack is making a promise it then has to keep. KRAVE started in Sonoma, California, on the belief that a snack doesn’t have to be junk; good-for-you food, in the brand’s view, ought to taste that way too. So it dreamt up a snack built around marinating for flavor, cooking low and slow, then slicing and seasoning the cuts. Along the way KRAVE ditched the nitrites and what it calls grisly texture in favor of culinary-inspired flavors and tender, slow-cooked cuts. The company behind the name, KRAVE Pure Foods, Inc., still lists a Sonoma address; according to its FAQ, the jerky itself is currently made in Michigan.
What makes KRAVE different
Every KRAVE product page comes back to the same short list: good source of protein, gluten-free, no artificial ingredients. The beef is billed as 100% grass-fed, and the pork pages add that no nitrates or nitrites are added. The FAQ puts a qualifier on that last point: the only nitrates or nitrites present are those naturally occurring in sea salt and celery seed. The same page says no MSG is added beyond what naturally occurs in soy sauce, that there are no artificial preservatives, and that the products are dairy-free. Kosher certification is something the brand says it is exploring, not something it has.
KRAVE flavors we carry
If you want the plainest read on what KRAVE does, start with the grass-fed beef jerky: the original is described as sweet, savory and sea-salty, in tender slices. From there the beef heads Southwest. One cut pairs chili with zesty lime, with no heat level called out; another is a smoky, southwestern-style chipotle beef jerky the manufacturer bills as moderate heat, tamed with a hint of honey. The pork jerky runs sweet: one is infused with a sweet and peppery black cherry barbecue sauce, the other marinated in a sweet and tangy teriyaki seasoning. The buffalo-style chicken jerky and a couple of the beef options in the grid aren’t described on the brand’s current site, so go by the bag for heat and ingredients. Everything currently in stock is in the grid above.
Who it's for
KRAVE suits you if you like jerky that eats more like sliced meat than a leathery strip; tender is the word the brand uses on every flavor page. Among the flavors it describes, heat tops out at what the manufacturer calls moderate: flavor first, kick second. The manufacturer states the products are gluten-free and dairy-free, but its facility also handles fish, soybeans, dairy, celery, mustard and sesame seeds, and the brand says cross-contact can’t be ruled out entirely.
JerkyBrands is an independent retailer; the KRAVE name and logo are trademarks of their owner.
