This is me looking vicious as I eat my Primal Strips
Now, I’m not a vegan. In fact, I consider myself a bit of a carnivore. So when Primal Strips sent me some meatless jerky, I was pretty skeptical. I have tasted enough chicken shaped soy products and soy sausages to be a little wary of vegan food. In fact, I’m wary of healthy food in general. My roommates eat big plates of steamed vegetables across the table from my burger and hard cider, and they tell me I may be at risk of getting scurvy and having all of my teeth fall out. At the moment I’m comfortable with that. You can always get new teeth, right? But I have been looking for protein sources that will stay fresh in the woods, so I figured I it could be fun to try something different even if it was made of soy and mushrooms.
I tested these vegan strips with six different people. Three at home and three on a backpacking trip. Everyone was impressed. That’s not quite it–everyone was surprised that they were impressed. My roommates, who as I mentioned are healthy, said the jerky was great. They had seen it at stores before and would now be willing to buy it.
The second test was with a more difficult audience. I went on a backpacking trip with three women, all meat eaters, and asked them to try a bite. They were hesitant at first, but ended up being pretty enthusiastic about the jerky and I shared the rest of what I had with them.
For myself, I am worried that there will be a knife fight in my food bag between summer sausage and Primal Strips, but I think I will try to bring both along. I wouldn’t really buy the jerky to eat around the house, but they seem like a nice option to have on a trip (particularly the teriyaki flavor). If you are looking for a little variety in your diet, it’s worth giving them a shot. You might be pleasantly surprised. I was.
And, as a side note, Primal Strips did send me some samples, but I’m not required to give a positive review. I’ll hardly ever turn down free food.
