Recently arrived from the US, these vegan jerky strips come in a whole range of flavours. Some are based on soy and with others made from shiitake mushrooms. The shiitake ones contain wheat gluten, but the soy ones are labelled as gluten-free. Although there are vegan pepperoni-style snacks available in the UK, these are the first widely available vegan jerky strips we know of. We picked up the Hickory Smoked, Texas BBQ and Hot & Spicy strips for our review.
The two soy protein strips (Hickory Smoked and Texas BBQ) look more like dried meat than the shiitake strip (Hot & Spicy). The texture of the two types is very distinct too, with the soy ones chewy and juicy and the shiitake one drier and more leathery.
Hickory Smoked
This one is mildly spiced, smoky of course, sweet and really tasty. This is top notch jerky...it really is very good.
Texas BBQ
A little sweeter, but less spicy than the hickory one. Sticky, moist and really flavoursome. Even better...we think this is our favourite!
Hot and Spicy
Much less moist, tougher and more to chew at. Spicy for sure and a lot less sweet than the others. Some will prefer this type as it will keep your jaw busier for longer.
What we like about all of these jerky strips is that while they offer plenty of umami, with that deep meaty taste, they don't leave too much of an after-taste. Some of the other meaty-style snacks on the market certainly do leave an after-taste.
It's good to see gluten free options available. It's also good to see shiitake being used as a natural meat substitute. The soy strips are based on isolated soy protein which is something you can't make in your own kitchen, and therefore something less natural. We'd have preferred the soy to be in the form of yuba (bean curd skins) which is used in the far east for similar purposes and can easily be made in your own kitchen.
To finish on a positive note, these are all great tasting jerky strips and it's great to see another niche of the vegan food market filled in such as satisfying way.
Verdict: Give your jaw some gnaw
Veganoo Score: ★★★★☆
Primal Strips Vegan Jerky
Primal Strips Vegan Jerky
Footnote: Ingredients
Here are the ingredients panels from the packs we reviewed.
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| Hickory Smoked |
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| Texas BBQ |
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| Hot & Spicy |
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