I just bought a little beef jerky. Haven’t had any in quite a while. It was supposed to be spicy. What I got was something sweet, rubbery and gummy, with barely a hint of heat. (In the US) W.t.f.
When I was a kid, jerky was dry AF, thin, salty, tooth-rippingly tough sometimes, never sweet unless you specifically got a teryaki flavor or something. If you wanted spicy, it was covered in pepper and your mouth would be on fire after just a couple pieces. It was awesome.
Now it’s sugary and chewy. Why people gotta put sugar on everything? Can’t find that dry, thin, peppery stuff anywhere.
What food of yours has disappeared or been wrecked in order to appeal to more people?
Sounds like OP bought some BBQ or Korean-style jerky, and both of those things can be surprisingly sweet. Also, the ‘heat’ factor in food has always been on the tame side when it comes to the States (in general, anyway), so that really shouldn’t have been a surprise.
“Modern jerky” is right. I read a comment by someone with experience (or in the industry), and my understanding is that what’s commonly sold as “jerky” in the States actually skips some important steps in the making-process. Authentic jerky is a different beast, and harder to find.
I don’t know if that’s what it is. It’s not labeled as such, however the industry could have moved in that direction without specifying that the style is what they were imitating. It’s the same jerky everywhere. Softer, chewy but not dry, often requiring refrigeration after opening. The sweetness I just attribute to people having to add sugar to damn near everything these days.
Hokey smokes, that is not any kind of jerky or even “jerky” that I’ve ever come across. oO