Snap into a slim yid

Holy cow! Kosher beef jerky

By Michael Orbach

Issue of Oct. 23, 2009 / 5 Cheshvan 5770

The owners of the first nationally available kosher beef jerky have no bones with being known as "kosher."

"We wanted a little bit of holiness in the name,"  explained Gabi Harkham, the co-founder of Holy Cow Kosher which produces Holy Cow Kosher Beef Jerky. "We're not afraid of being kosher. Kosher is part of our brand name and we have a beis-samach-daled on our packages. It helps the brand, more non-Jews purchase kosher products than Jews every year."

Harkham, whose background is in information technology, created the company alongside his partner in Israel in 2007. Harkham grew up in Australia where he was addicted to beef jerky — dried out beef that is packaged to last for long periods of time — and he realized that no kosher variety of his favorite food was widely available.

"There's a lot of mom and pop shops [that sell beef jerky], there's a restaurant in LA that sells it, but there's no one that is USDA approved that can sell it outside of their facility," explained Harkham.

Harkham and his partner spent a year testing recipes and flavors before deciding on four flavors: Hickory, spicy, teriyaki, and original. The Holy Cow Kosher Beef is also healthier than most types of jerky since it is preservative free with no nitrates, carbohydrates or sugars and is USDA approved.

The company has sent the kosher beef jerky to Jewish soldiers in Afghanistan and is holding a Chanukah program for 3,000 prisoners in US jails. The jerky is produced in a factory in Utah under the strict supervision of the Orthodox Union; the company uses only bishul Yisrael in its process.

Harkham hopes to attract both Jews and non-Jews to Holy Cow Kosher Beef Jerky. "We like to say we're held up to a higher standard," he said.