Berbere Beef Jerky — Side Project Jerky (2 oz)
Berbere is Ethiopia's foundational spice blend — built on chiles and ginger, deepened with coriander, cardamom, and basil, and finished with garlic. It's been seasoning tibs and doro wat for centuries. On beef jerky, it translates as a citrusy-sweet heat that opens bright and settles into something warm and complex, nothing like the one-note pepper heat you get from most "spicy" jerky. This is what happens when a chef who actually knows the ingredient builds the recipe.
Side Project founder Marcos Espinoza spent a year developing this recipe with Top Chef alum Jen Carroll — testing flavor, texture, and spice balance until it held up against the drying process without losing the citrus lift that makes berbere worth eating. The spice blend comes from Workinesh Spices, an Ethiopian-owned spice company. The ingredient list is short on purpose: beef, tamari, the berbere blend, and kosher salt. Nothing filling the label that doesn't pull its weight in the bowl.
Eat it straight as a snack, fold it into eggs, or rough-chop it over a rice bowl where the sweet-heat profile plays the same role it does in Ethiopian cooking — building depth without overpowering what it's next to. Pairs with a cold lager, a dry Ethiopian tej (honey wine) if you want to stay thematic, or just about anything where you want something more interesting than your standard desk jerky. Gluten-free, 4g sugar per bag.
The Maker
Side Project Jerky is a small-batch operation out of Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania, founded in 2012 by Marcos Espinoza with a specific mission: build jerky flavors that honor cuisines from around the world, developed in real test kitchens with real chefs. The Berbere flavor is a collaboration with Chef Jen Carroll — a Philadelphia-based chef and Top Chef finalist — using a proprietary spice blend sourced directly from Workinesh Spices, an Ethiopian-owned spice company. Every flavor in the lineup starts with a blank canvas of beef and a chef with something specific to say about a place.
Ingredients
Ingredients:
Beef, Tamari, Berbere Spice (Chiles, Ginger, Garlic, Coriander, Cardamom, Basil), Kosher Salt
FAQ
What does berbere taste like on jerky?
Citrusy and warm, with a heat that builds gradually rather than hitting all at once. The cardamom and basil add a floral, aromatic quality that most spicy jerky doesn't have — it reads more complex than just hot.
How spicy is it?
Medium heat. The chiles give it genuine warmth without crossing into punishing territory. If you can handle a moderately spicy Indian or Ethiopian dish, this is in that range.
Is this gluten-free?
Yes, though tamari is used in the marinade rather than soy sauce — tamari is typically wheat-free, but if you have a severe gluten sensitivity, verify the specific tamari used is certified gluten-free.
How much sugar does it have?
4 grams per bag. The sweetness comes from the natural sugars in the spice blend rather than added cane sugar, which is part of what gives the heat its citrusy, rounded character.
Who is Workinesh Spices?
An Ethiopian-owned spice company that produces the proprietary berbere blend used in this jerky. The sourcing is intentional — Side Project partnered with Workinesh specifically to ensure the spice blend authentically represents the Ethiopian culinary tradition it's based on.
