Hickory Smoked

…personally… like 1 star for all the others? I started with a variety pack that included all or most of the flavors and wow, I was really disappointed? The flavor for most of them was fine but they were definitely slimy in that they’re packed in marinade, and I absolutely loathed the texture of the soy ones. Could. Not. Stand. It. I honestly wouldn’t have reviewed them, when something is so obviously not for me, but not like, false advertising or anything—just, tough and chewy, but slimy, and not chewy in a jerky way but in a strip of something that’s not food… a literal piece of leather rather than preserved edible meat?And I didn’t care if it was jerky-like, I wasn’t looking particularly for a jerky fix, I’m just always looking for convenient vegan snacks that aren’t a billion dollars, something I can toss in my purse and forget about until I find myself stuck somewhere with no options and need something. This seemed perfect. My multi pack included 2 of each kind and I hated them all, until I tried the mushroom one. Omg, the texture was worlds better! Actually kind of jerky like, but a little softer, the flavor is great, I wouldn’t mind if it was less spicy, or if they used the other marinades on the mushroom base (because I’m never touching the soy ones again ever) for variety’s sake, but I think these are genuinely delicious and I’ve come back for the packs of just the mushroom kind a bunch of times since then, since they are exactly what I wanted. The mushroom one is also packed in marinade, so it’s also wet instead of dry when you open it, but I wouldn’t call it slimy, possibly because the texture is more porous so it actually absorbs the liquid, but just a heads up, it’s still slightly messier than like, a granola bar or something. Still, it’s a perfect toss in my purse for whenever food.

I've been a vegetarian for 10 years (all of my 20s) and absolutely love it! Lately I've been really looking for good healthy protein sources that I actually like to eat, and these Primal Strips are excellent! These things scare me because they are so realistically meat-like.I've tried 3 flavors of them so far, and there was only 1 that I thought wasn't great. It was completely edible, but the texture was just not as good as the others. I think it was the Teriyaki that I didn't like so much, but I really liked the Texas Barbecue and the Hickory Smoked flavors.These are excellent low-calorie, low-fat, convenient, tasty snacks with high amounts of protein. You can take them anywhere, keep them in your desk at work or in your purse!The only complaint I have about these is that I wish there were versions with lower sodium. To me, as someone who loves a good salty snack, but knows that too much salt is not good and tries to avoid it, these taste too salty. And 300+ mg of sodium per strip seems high.But in the end I am overlooking the sodium and am purchasing these in bulk now! I just bought the Thai Peanut flavor because I love spicy foods, and I love Thai food! I'll update this review with my thoughts on this flavor after I receive them.UPDATE: I received the Thai Peanut flavor and LOVE them! They have a great chewy texture, good flavor, and a good amount of spice. All for only 74 calories each, but 10g protein! I definitely recommend these!

These are definitely my favorite flavor of all of their options. It's my go to snack.

I am a jerky (Meat) lover forced to turn vegetarian for health reasons. However, I fall off the vegetarian wagon often but stick to it as much as I can. I miss and love a nice salty, spicy, chewy snack and found these with a lot of good reviews and so gave them a try. I have tried only these Hot & Spicy ones from Primal so far and plan to try the others. There is a smell and taste of vegetable meat substitute that's a bit off putting, but they are the best substitute I've tried to date. Don't get me wrong though, I am not looking to find a veggie meat... just a salty chewy snack like beef jerky. I like that they are made from something other than soy, I cannot eat soy, I'm allergic. I'm undecided if I will buy this flavor again, I have 20 more to eat.What I like:Texture, its really very, very good and its strongest attribute!Heat, its pretty hot and could be compared with the heat of black pepper but could be even hotter for my taste... :)What I don't like:Smells like vegetable meat substitutes, based on this alone some people will not even try them, they could have a more smokey taste and smell that would help mask this veggie one.They could be saltier, I am really looking for a good salty snack here, and these aren't really meeting this need for me, taste more sweet than salt. I like the sweet but would like more salt.The slight taste of licorice, I do like licorice but I wouldn't normally eat it with jerky.These are good enough that I will try some of the other flavors in hopes that one of them will be "the one".

Even after so many years, through the boom of hyper-realistic meatless alternatives, this is still the best vegan jerky on the market. It's toothsome but not tough, with a tender chew that satisfies but doesn't destroy my teeth. It's high in protein (naturally), no crazy ingredients, and perfectly packaged in single servings. I always have one in my bag for snacking emergencies since it won't melt like many sweet protein bars or chocolate treats.It's gotten a lot harder to find in stores, and NO ONE carries the Thai peanut anymore, which is my favorite, so thank goodness I can stock up here! Compared to similar snacks, the price is quite reasonable.