DTube Video: Ultralight Backpacking Food – Primal Strips Vegan Jerk...

Vegan jerky is a great snack to eat when hiking. (See my guide to lightweight hiking snacks). It’s packed full of protein which helps repair your tired muscles and sustains you throughout your trek. There are several brands of vegan jerky on the market, the most popular being Primal Strips from Primal Spirit Foods. Its jerky comes in six different flavours, two of which are made from soy, three from seitan and the other one from shiitake mushroom. I bought a packet to try them all out and to let you know my thoughts.

What do the flavours taste like?

There are six different flavours to choose from. These are:

Texas BBQ: Chewy texture, with a sweet/peppery BBQ aftertaste.

Hickory Smoked: Very similar to the BBQ. Chewy texture with a sweet/peppery aftertaste. Little more 'smokey' flavour.

Hot & Spicy: Not very hot at all. 'Peppery heat' flavour. Not as chewy, softer texture which melts in the mouth.

Mesquite Lime: Chewy texture. Citrusy aftertaste with Mexican spices.

Teriyaki: Chewy texture. Tasted just like soy sauce.

Thai Peanut: Chewy texture. Very sweet with a Thai peanut aftertaste.

What did I think of them?

I really liked the concept of the jerky. It's made of natural products, no preservatives and it's packed full of protein. My favourite flavour was definitely the Hot & Spicy I think mainly because I prefer the texture. The others were really chewy, which is ideal for those who used to like original beef jerky. However, I found them a little too tough and the shiitake mushroom based Hot & Spicy was softer, easier to bite into and it melted in the mouth.

My partner, who used to eat beef jerky, said he preferred the Texas BBQ. I think this flavour and the Hickory Smoked is probably the most similar to meat varieties on the market.

One thing I would change about the jerky is the amount of packaging. As they are individually wrapped, each one comes in quite a bit of plastic. It would be great if the brand could develop compostable packaging or something similar. I'll be emailing them to inquire about this.

If you fancy trying some, you can get a pack of six for £10 which makes them £1.60 each.

Make your own jerky

If you're a fan of jerky, you can also have a go at making your own. There are lots of recipes online including this 'Spicy Sriracha Tofu' one from Connoisseurus Veg.