A North Texas couple is introducing salmon jerky to Texans through their company, The Good Jerky, in hopes of changing how people eat.
Quentin Crawford founded the company with his wife Lauren and now acts as CEO and president. Quentin told NBC The Good Jerky was about more than just making salmon jerky; it was about creating a more health-conscious community.
“We want people to know that this jerky is good for them,” Crawford said. “But we want people to know that it’s also good for the community as well.”
Salmon jerky is already a favorite snack for many fans of paleo, pescatarian, and gluten-free diets, according to NBC.
Rodney Gibson, the vice president of sales and marketing for The Good Jerky, said not everyone has heard of it as a snacking option.
Gibson told NBC, “It’s a real interesting conversation; ‘Hey, have you ever heard of fish jerky?’ ‘Fish jerky!? I didn’t know that was a thing.’”
The company was founded in 2018 when Crawford and his wife set out to be healthier.
“2018 was a whirlwind because me and my wife were essentially talking about how we could be healthier, or how we could essentially ensure that we were eating healthier and living a good lifestyle,” Crawford said.
On The Good Jerky website, Crawford mentions his family history of disease and how he and his wife made the switch to vegetarianism before adding fish back to their diet. When brainstorming ways to enjoy eating fish, Crawford decided to get a dehydrator and try his hand at making his own jerky.
“I ordered a dehydrator and tried the first thing I could get my hands on, salmon,” he explains on the website. “Months and months of trial and error has allowed me to create succulent and tender seafood snacks.”
According to Crawford, their vision went beyond their own snacking habits. They also want to help create a healthier community and change the perception of snacking altogether. The salmon jerky is said to be a healthy alternative to the pork and beef jerky familiar to most Texans.
“It’s going to give you lots of protein,” Gibson said. “You’ll get lots of vitamins. Good fats. That’s a real big thing when it comes to the poor diets that African Americans usually have. It’s due to the bad fats.”
Crawford added, “It gives them a sense of, ‘I can eat this and not sacrifice taste, not sacrifice culture, right, and still be healthy.’”
The process of making the salmon jerky takes between ten and twelve hours, according to NBC, and during that time, it is infused with flavors and spices.
“As far as Texans go, spicy barbecue is the flavor,” Gibson said. “Traditional barbecue, and then the spices. So that’s what they gravitate to.”
The Good Jerky will be releasing at least four new flavors this year. The salmon jerky flavors they currently have available are sweet honey teriyaki and sweet n’ smoky. They also have habanero honey trout jerky.
The company has made a commitment to donate to the American Red Cross every year to show support for heart health.
