I Ate ‘Squid Game’ Beef Jerky

When it debuted on Netflix in September of 2021, Squid Game became an instant international sensation. People all over the world were hungry for a show like this, one with not just shocking violence and suspenseful drama, but also something meaningful to say about the brutal nature of modern life.

So does it stand to reason that they’re also hungry … for beef jerky?

The folks over at Jack Link’s certainly hope so. The jerky giant has created a special tie-in product connected to the recent release of Squid Game Season 2 on Netflix: A limited-time “Red Light: Green Light” jerky which, according to their official website, “draws its inspiration from the heart-pounding intensity of Squid Game.”

Frankly, a beef jerky that makes your heart pound sounds a little dangerous. (Eat enough beef jerky and your heart will probably start to pound eventually, have you seen how much sodium is in a single bag of beef jerky?) Of course, I can’t just avoid a tie-in beef jerky just because there’s a slim chance it might make my heart explode. Eating weird movie and TV-inspired foods is my beat. So when I saw the Squid Game jerky at my local convenience store, I didn’t hesitate.

So how does it taste? Does this dried beef snack accurately capture the soul-crushing despair of everyone’s favorite streaming TV show about capitalism’s all-consuming brutality? Watch my Squid Game beef jerky taste test below.

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After I ended the video I took a look at the list of ingredients on the back of the bag. Below the standard jerky ingredients like beef, water, and sugar it claimed it “contains 2% or less of” a whole bunch of things, including red miso, fermented rice extract, and something called “cultured celery extract.” The less than 2% part could explain the lack of any notable Korean seasoning. Beyond a slightly higher spice level than normal, I wouldn’t have detected any difference between Squid Game jerky and a standard-issue varietal in a blind taste test.

That doesn’t mean the Squid Game jerky was bad; I did finish the rest of the bag a few hours later. It just means it didn’t really deliver on the label’s promise of ssamjang flavor. On that front, that was a disappointment. But hey: Squid Game is all about how capitalism grinds people down, little by little, day after day, slowly sapping us of all our hopes and dreams. So … good job, Jack Link’s?