Primal Spirit Vegan Jerky - Sampler Pack, 10g. Plant Based Protein, Certified Non-GMO ("Classics" Thai Peanut, Mesquite Lime, Teriyaki, Hot & Spicy, Hickory Smoked, & Texas BBQ, 24-Pack, 1 oz.)

I really am happy I tried this, the price is very reasonable compared to anything local (if you can even find it) or compared to buying smaller packs and some of the other brands. I haven't been able to find any vegan jerky locally at the coop anymore so I'll admit that it's been a while since I tried any other brand for direct comparison. This is better than I remembered the others being though. I'd recommend this for a first purchase to try the brand even if you think one of them sounds better than the others. You actually get a split of 6 flavors. Hickory Smoked must be new or something because at the time of this review, it's not shown in the product picture. Some flavors are probably going to appeal to you more than others and it's nice to give them a go before committing. In my case I like all of them though so I'll probably just keep getting the sampler pack to mix it up. Hot and Spicy is a little bit drier and more solid. The other five have more similar textures, they are a bit softer and stringier. The texture is good. You won't fool anyone who eats meat jerky but in my case I've been vegetarian for too long to really compare. This is a little oily on the outside, keep in mind that compared to regular jerky, it's slightly messier and you will need to rinse your hands afterward if you hold the thing directly without eating it out of the package. Not a complaint but just pointing this out if you're going to munch on these while sitting in your cubicle or something. I would put Mesquite Lime and Thai Peanut as my favorites but your mileage will vary. In my case, I like those ones since they seemed to have the "strongest" flavor and I'm not trying to critique whether it tastes like meat or not, just enjoying it for what it is.

These taste the closest to my memory of beef jerky as any of the vegan jerky brands I've tried. I love all the flavors except the green lime mesquite is a little too over-flavored for me. The mushroom based flavors are softer and easier to chew (less jerky like) but enjoyable nonetheless. My kids like these as well (although they've never had actual beef jerky to compare to).

I enjoyed most of these flavors except for the Thai peanut. That one was nasty as hell. I had to spit it out. I'm not a picky eater but it just tasted wrong. The texture for each flavor also varies. The hot and spicy was soft and that Thai peanut felt like I was chewing through plastic. The lime one is too limey. Taste bitter and not refreshing. Otherwise some flavors are absolutely delicious. Some hit and misses.

I really enjoyed 4 of the 6 flavors. I was pleasantly surprised by the Lime flavored option. The Thai peanut was okay, but I’m sure it’s a flavor I can get use to. It’s the one flavor I wouldn’t reach for right away, but if it were the only option left, it would still make a good snack. The hot and spicy option, however, was rather dry and the texture was unpleasant. All the other flavors had the same meaty texture. The hickory smoke, Texas BBQ and Teriyaki flavors are amazing. They do not taste that much different than each other but still good.

Super disappointed. I was SO excited to get this sampler pack because it looks so good. So far every package I've opened has been like shoe leather and, save one small piece in one package, all the pieces were completely inedible. I couldn't even bite into them. I do plan on writing the company to let them know. I don't know how they could package something like this and call it food. :(

Not bad. I was looking for something to spice up my usual snacks (nuts and protein bars), and these filled the need. Loved how chewy they are. Pretty satisfying too, as far as holding off hunger. I'm going to rate each flavor, but note that this review is coming from someone who never liked sugar and meat together. If you're not like me then maybe this review will be helpful for you in a backwards sort of way. 6. Teriyaki: Ugh, too sweet. Skipping this in the future. 5. Texas BBQ: Still too sweet for me, but a little better. 4. Hickory Smoked: Still too sweet for me, but not as bad as the teriyaki or BBQ. The black pepper bite is really delish. Might be too hot for some people. I would maybe order a pack of this flavor if I was hit with the mood. 3. Thai Peanut: I thought I was going to love this flavor, but yuck. There are several Thai peanut sauces I like to make, and I really thought this would do it for me, but the texture turned me off. It's like the jerky is covered in a thick, well, peanut sauce, and it just didn't work for me. Also, too sweet. 2. Mesquite Lime: There we go. Loved this. Honestly, I can't exactly describe the flavor for this review, because I gobbled these up so quick! 1. Hot & Spicy: Delish!! If your tastes are opposite of mine, I think you'll like most of the flavors in this sampler set. The chewy texture really is great, and reminds me of my vague, distant memories of beef. I didn't realize they were made of separate protein sources, they're all pretty similar. Update: Just ordered a case of the Mesquite Lime.

I've wanted to try vegan jerky for a while but was scared away by the price. I'm glad I gave this pack a try and wish it was included in the monthly subscription service. My favorite is the Teriyaki. For flavor and texure, teriyaki hit all points. The mesquite lime is also good but it could be more 'limey' but still a really good flavor. Thai peanut tasted too sweet and needed more savory. Hot and spicy wasn't hot or spicy although it had a subtle tingle that lasted a while (I tried this flavor then gave it to my boss to sample). Hickory and Texas BBQ were both good with nice spice. Texture wise seitan is better than the soy, and soy is better than the mushroom. Flavor wise, soy is better than seitan, and seitan is better than mushroom. Seitan is extremely meat like. I let my coworkers sample it and even after telling them it was wheat they still thought it was meat. Soy texture is like pulled meat that's been pressed and congealed into shape and is harder to chew. Soy has a really good flavor, but doesn't match with the 'jerky' experience the way the seitan did. I felt the mushroom was over processed, and instead of having chewable chunks it was more like a paste that was pressed into a bar for eating. That one was a miss and I'll probably give the other mushroom bar away instead of trying it again. Best - Teriyaki (Seitan) 2nd - Hickory (Soy) 3rd - Texas BBQ (Soy) 4th - Mesquite Lime (Seitan) 5th - Thai peanut (Seitan) 6th - Hot and Spicy (Mushroom)

If you want the true chew of dry beef jerky without the death, this is the one. I'm a general fan of Louisville vegan jerky for every day snacks, but sometimes it just doesn't have enough of that strong chew factor. Primal will build your jaw muscles! Your jaw gets a work out and I'm glad I got the sampler pack to see which flavors I like. Teriyaki flavor needs more oomph, it's a bit one sided and bland, but so far the rest of the flavors are really great. I highly recommend chopping them into smaller bite size pieces if you plan on taking these on a trip like I plan to do. I'll reiterate. They're VERY chewy.