Why didn’t the cow have any money?
Because the farmer was milking her dry!
If delicious dry strips of beef aren’t at the top of your holiday gift list, they should be. Giving someone a jerky gift box is more than just giving them something tasty to snack on. The different styles, flavors, and meat types make jerky an entire food experience.
Bold new flavors of jerky and exotic meat types are constantly hitting the food market. Now you can try things like coffee-flavored alligator jerky or spicy flavored ostrich jerky. Of course, there are still traditional jerky styles to suit more old fashioned tastebuds.
Read on to find out 4 reasons jerky makes the perfect gift.
1. Jerky Gift Box Items Are Fun
The beauty of a jerky gift box is the opportunity it provides to add variety to your gift. Instead of buying a prepacked gift box, you can pick each item yourself. Here are some of the items to include in your delicious crate of jerky:
- Variety of jerky sizes, flavors, and styles
- Jerky related t-shirts
- Candy with meat in it
- Spices
- Flavored nuts
When picking out items to put in your gift box, remember that you’ll want a wide selection. Including a variety of jerky sizes and flavors will make the box more exciting and visually appealing. Large pieces of jerky, medium-sized pieces, and small pieces will all blend to create a treasure chest of choices.
Along with providing size variety, you’ll also want to include a mix of flavors, jerky styles, and meat types.
2. Exciting Flavor Choices
One of the best things about jerky is all of the different flavor choices you’ll have. Do you want to create a jerky gift box that’s full of hot and spicy meat treats? Or are you looking to create a flavor blend that’s sweeter like teriyaki?
Whatever flavors you’re looking for, you’ll be able to find a jerky brand that can accommodate. Here are a few of the different jerky flavors you can choose from:
- Smokey honey
- Sweet barbecue
- Spicy cajun
- Fruity
- Coffee
- Citrus
- Bacon
- Garlic pepper
The list of jerky flavors just keeps going and going. Almost every day it seems like a new flavor is being released. Remember, instead of only buying one type of flavor, go ahead and get a little bit of each.
Creating Flavor Experiences
Remember, the goal isn’t to fill a box up with the perfect flavor choices. While of course, it would be awesome for every flavor to be a hit, that doesn’t have to happen for your gift to be a success.
Jerky gift boxes are all about providing the recipient with an experience. You’re giving the receiver of the gift a chance to try new foods that they probably wouldn’t otherwise. So go ahead and be bold when choosing jerky flavors; it’s part of what makes jerky such an exciting gift.
3. Great Textures and Styles
Food scientists now know that texture plays a major role in how we experience taste. The type of style you choose will affect the texture of the jerky and, as a result, the taste. As you shop for different jerky products, look for a blend of both dry and tender types of meat.
Here are some of the different jerky styles and textures.
- Strips
- Nuggets
- Sticks
- Hard and dry
- Soft and tender
Whether you’re looking for rough, soft, juicy, or dry, there’s a jerky style out there for everyone.
Hard and Dry Jerky
If you want jerky that’s as hard as a rock, you’ll need to get it old fashioned style. Hard, dry, jerky is usually a favorite of long-time jerky enthusiasts. One of the biggest appeals of hard jerky is how long it lasts.
Long-lasting jerky means more time to appreciate the flavor as you chew, chew, chew. Old fashioned jerky is also famous for being the style of jerky that cowboys used to eat. Some of the flavors that go best with old fashioned styled jerky include black pepper, teriyaki, and hickory.
4. Jerky Meats Are Exotic
What do alligators, elks, and kangaroo all have in common? They all make delicious jerky! Yep, that’s right, you can make jerky out of almost any type of meat. Here’s a list of the different jerky meat types you can choose from:
- Fish
- Deer
- Alpaca
- Salmon
- Buffalo
- Duck
- Ostrich
- Snake
- Turkey
- Boar
- Yak
Each separate animal meat will bring its unique taste and texture.
Alpaca Jerky
Alpaca jerky is famous worldwide for being both full of flavor and healthy. The alpaca meat contains less fat and cholesterol than more traditional red meats do, like beef. Alpaca jerky is also popular for having considerably less sodium than other meat types.
Kangaroo Jerky
Kangaroo jerky has a unique flavor that goes well with sweet sauces. This jerky also has health benefits because it’s high in protein and iron. Kangaroo jerky is also leaner than other red meats, while still being incredibly tasty.
Personalize Your Gift
Finally, your jerky gift box will be complete once you personalize it. So far we’ve been discussing what jerkys to choose for your gift box. Yet, you can also take advantage of the box itself to make your gift more personal.
For example, for a sports enthusiast, you could choose a gift box color and colored tissue paper that matches their favorite team’s colors. If your friend loves the beach, use a sand bucket as the gift box and include a few seashells to top it off.
If you do choose to personalize the gift box, get ready to make someone smile. Receiving a well thought out gift box is one of life’s most rewarding experiences. Especially when that gift box involves food.
Does all this talk of jerky have your stomach grumbling? Then it’s time to learn about the best places to eat in the world. Go ahead and check out our latest food news today!
