House of Jerky - Buffalo Snack Sticks

Janie at House of Jerky sent me this package of Buffalo Snack Sticks just last week, after writing a review of her Elk Snack Sticks based on a really old package.

So thankfully for her, I can write a review of these sticks based on what you'd actually get. But I also happen to have package of Buffalo Snack Sticks from several months ago as well. So, I can actually compare a new package with an old package.

Not being a true connoiseur of meat sticks, I never expected to taste the full flavor of beef, buffalo, elk, or any other meat, in a meat stick. For me, meat sticks are purely about snacking. Beef jerky, on other hand, is where you enjoy the flavor of meat, the chewing texture meat, along with the spices and marinades.

But like beef jerky, I know there are really good meat sticks, and really bad ones.

Having a couple sticks of House of Jerky's Buffalo Snack Sticks, these are definitely good meat sticks.

I tend to use Slim Jim as the base line of what a poor meat stick is like. Slim Jims are very oily, kinda bland in taste, and have a papery chewing texture.

By contrast, House of Jerky's Buffalo Snack Sticks are not really oily, but rather moist. They have a meaty flavor, though not necessarily resembling natural buffalo meat flavor. It's more similar to what you'd expect from a summer sausage, with a saltiness, and some spices, but still a "meaty" flavor.

In terms of meat consistency, these sticks are also comparable to summer sausage, having a soft, moist inside. They don't coat my mouth with a greasy film like Slim Jims and other brands often do, they don't have that "papery texture" like Slim Jims seem to have.




But going back to the flavor, I find these Buffalo Snack Sticks having a light spiciness, and with a bit of tanginess, as if some kind of vinegar was used (though vinegar is not mentioned in the ingredients).

The skin on these sticks seem thicker than other brands I've had, and are rather chewy.

I was about to say that I didn't find any crunchy hard bits of animal material, when I bit into a small piece of bone. But having eating four of the newer sticks, and three of the old, that was the first chunk of bone I encountered.

Overall, it's a better meat stick than the mass-market brands you'll find at the grocery store.

So, how does the newer package of these Buffalo Snack Sticks compare to the several-months-old package? The newer package is more soft and moist, just a little bit easier to chew. But they both have the same chewy skin, the same spiciness, the same tanginess. The older package seems to have a more stale flavor, but not necessarily a bad flavor. If all you had were old sticks, you'd still think they tasted good. But compared to the newer sticks, the newer sticks are definitely better.

BTW, the photos you see above are the newer sticks.

Buy these Buffalo Snack Sticks online at House of Jerky...
http://www.houseofjerky.net/