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The Sweet Heat Company certainly lives up to its name, with its teriyaki jalapeño beef jerky nailing that perfect balance of spiciness and flavour.

A bag of The Sweet Heat Company’s jerky landed in the office courtesy of a colleague’s pre-work visit to Fresh Basket and I was instantly a fan. So much so that I ate the review bag before writing this and had to get a new one — it was just that delicious.

Beef jerky was a favourite snack of mine as a student abroad, so finding out that it was not only available in Pakistan but made by a local company was music to my ears.

According to their Instagram, the company has been experimenting for three years and was established last year. That process seems to have been successful, as their products are available both online through their Instagram and in brick and mortar stores like Fresh Basket in Karachi.

The jerky’s teriyaki flavour is well suited to beef, offering a mix of sweet and savoury. Despite being the hottest jerky they offer, it is not overpoweringly spicy and is very nicely balanced.

Moreover, while beef jerky can be extremely tough and chewy, this one isn’t. Easy to chew and bursting with flavour, it appeals to those who normally don’t eat jerky.

A bag of either Sweet Heat’s teriyaki jalapeño or beef pineapple (not reviewed) will cost you Rs1,350 per a 60g bag. Given they’re loaded with 23g of protein, it really lives up to its slogan of “guilt-free snacking”.

I’d rate it five stars across the board.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

This article is part of an ongoing series on supporting local products. All the products are independently evaluated and reviewed by a member of the Images team and reflect their personal opinions. If you’re a local business and would like to be featured, reach out to us at imagesdawndotcom@gmail.com.