I am a big garlic fan. So when I saw this i knew I had to try it. And to be fair this is my absolute favorite flavor that I’ve tried. It is a biltong style rather than a regular beef jerky. To be fair that is the one thing that I would change, I would make this in the same style as the other jerkies Righteous Felon produces. I will still eat it as a biltong, but I prefer the texture of their other craft jerkies while still loving the flavor of this one.
For those who don’t know, Biltong is a little different from regular jerky. First of all it is cured with vinegar which is very different from regular jerky (and why I know I couldn’t actually get the same flavor if it were actual jerky, and really it is just a textural preference.). It is cut slightly thicker because it is air dried and it is never smoke dried so it doesn’t have that smokiness many other jerky products will have. I also find it to be a little drier and less ‘juicy’ I suppose you would say, compared to the Righteous Felon Jerky I’ve tried.
I know the process creates both the flavor and the texture. The texture is okay, I will certainly still eat it, but the flavor is fantastic so I will always order it. If that makes sense. It helps that I adore black garlic as well as regular garlic.
The ingredients list for Darth Garlic is very straightforward: Beef, red wine vinegar, salt, ground corriander, black garlic, rosemary, pepper and monk fruit.
It is a simple and very delicious list. My biggest problem is that because it is in smaller pieces, I tend to eat this one from the bag rather than measure my portions out so I almost always eat the entire bag in one sitting instead of breaking it into portions. Which as each serving of this is 80 calories it still ends up only being a 180 calorie snack when I do.
Actually what is fun, now that I’ve understood that once i open the bag, i am eating the whole bag, I tend to have this as a snack when i am having a smaller portion size dinner or one that is veg heavy when it is cold and I am really craving something much more high caloric than I am going to eat. The Darth Garlic not only leaves me feeling as though i had a decadent treat, but because I ate the whole bag I feel like I have over done it on the “treat” of the day and therefore I feel more satisfied with the lighter dinner.
I know, mental trickery. Sometimes it is the best way to deal with your brain when you are dieting. It is as much a mental game as it is a physical one.
As for taste, there is the tang of the red whine vinegar, which is both enhanced and sweetened by the almost balsamic taste of black garlic. The coriander and black pepper help balance out that tang. I am not entirely certain what monk fruit tastes like. I keep looking for it at my local grocery because I know it is often used as a sweetened in food products, but I would like to see what flavor it has on it’s own besides just sweet.
And that is primarily because of products like this Darth Garlic. I am fairly certain there is another flavor in there. There is a light sweetness to the back of the taste and I think that is from the monk fruit, but I think that additional taste is from the monk fruit as well. Mostly because I can’t place the flavor.
It always annoys me when i can’t place a flavor. This is also the reason i have the tendency to bring weird and wonderful things home from the grocery when i see them.
But that is another story.
If you are looking for a savory beef snack without heat but a deep and delicious flavor, I’d suggest giving Darth Garlic from Righteous Felon a try. it is one of my absolute favorites from all of the items i have tried. And it is the one I will reorder every time i place an order with them.
Ms. Mimsy Reviews 