for the love of fake meat: jerky edition

today's adventure is an exciting one, boys: meatless jerky

now some of you might be skeptical, can soy or seitan really taste like dried beef?

well the short version of this post says, "YES IT CAN!"

long version: 

my roommate's dad, who sends her an array of meat laden products that the quantity sent obviously is intended to be shared, has favored sending tantalizing homemade jerky lately. i have been veggie for over a year, and the thought of that delicious smoky taste and salty texture still tempted me. so, i began searching the internet; surely i wasn't the only vegetarian who in their meat eating days enjoyed jerky. in addition to missing the flavor, i also missed the portability and protein packed-ness of it; you just can't make a veggie burger anywhere. i was hopeful that my desires might be realized. and i found it! many different varieties and brands, but one struck my eye. i am always particularly fond of meatless products that use plays on words as their brand names, so "PRIMAL STRIPS" (photo above) were right up my ally. i went to my local natural food store, and after scouring the snack aisle, i started to lose hope, but as i decided to check out their energy bars, a series of bins beside them caught my eye. i was overjoyed, and bought three different varieties, two of which are yet to be reviewed. today, after my afternoon nap i decided to try one, the hickory smoked soy. while struggling with the package (is perforated at the top, but scissors were necessary in my case), the smell taunted me with smokiness. and when i got it out of the package, i found it a little smothered in sauce, but when i tore it apart to dig in, the texture was just right, fraying apart just like meat jerky! it was simply delicious, so flavorful, had the perfect texture,  and was remarkably filling (although i did want another just because they tasted so good!) i am highly anticipating tasting the others, especially the teriyaki seitan. 

love and best veggies,

-nora

addendum:

flavor #2: teriyaki seitan

not as successful as the soy in texture- comes off in sheets  and doesn't have that meaty fringing like jerky should. flavor, however is delicious. sweet and smoky, very good.

still to come, texas bbq soy. 

 

final addendum: 

flavor #3: texas bbq soy

a little more dry and less flavorful than the hickory smoked, but still tasty.