Producer: Archer Jerky
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Found at the Littleton Co-op: Dried meat jerky
Website: archerjerky.com
Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month is celebrated worldwide to bring awareness to and honor the cross-sector contributions made by people of such cultural background. And that includes impacts in our food system! While foodies of all backgrounds collectively contribute to what we eat, how we eat, and how we produce food, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders have faced widespread systemic barriers and erasure from history, making AANHPI an important time to acknowledge and celebrate those contributions and the people behind them. Furthermore, we celebrate AANHPI Heritage Month in May specifically to commemorate both the anniversary of the first arrival of a Japanese immigrant on American soil, and the completion of the Trans-Continental Railroad, whose Western-half was primarily completed by Chinese laborers. While the contribution of Asian Americans to such events was not recognized until much later, both demonstrate the obstacles, and perseverance, that deem AANHPI Heritage Month worthy of annual recognition. Read more about Littleton Co-op’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work here.
In many ways, the story and success of Archer Jerky is a full-circle moment. Founder Eugene Kang began working at his family’s convenience stores, not knowing decades later he would find his own product on such shelves. Working in his family’s stores allowed him to learn business and to see how products on the shelves, including jerky, evolved over time. He also saw the impact of his heritage on his family’s trajectory, telling Good Morning America “I grew up in a Korean immigrant household, with my grandfather coming to the country on less than $20. He started in the convenience store business because it was the business where you didn’t need to speak much English.” But it wasn’t until a trip to the Grand Canyon with his aunt Susan Kang that Eugene knew jerky was his path forward. After tasting Celestino Mirarchi’s roadside “life-changing” jerky, Eugene and Susan purchased Celestino’s business with the hopes to get the delicious jerky to people nationwide. When they partnered with Huy Fong Sriracha on Archer’s sriracha flavored jerky, customers started to take notice of Archer’s combination of bold flavors and real ingredients.
Years later, it’s that same commitment to flavor and quality that catapulted Archer Jerky to stores nationwide that keeps customers reaching for their protein-packed snacks – even when prepping for road trips similar to the one that launched everything for Eugene Kang.
Status of product availability at the Littleton Co-op, and labeling of producers (such as local, Black-Owned Business, NH-made, etc) and product status or ingredients (gluten-free, vegan, etc) is based on available information at time of publication. The food world is an ever-changing landscape and information presented here may not reflect the most up-to-date information available.
