When I opened my can of Jerky TVP^® I was expecting long strips. Rather, I found small oval chunks, generally about an inch long. The first thing that came to my mind was, "dog food." Let me tell you, "This certainly doesn't taste like dog food." (What am I confessing here?) My very first bite into the very first chunk wasn't all that great because it didn't taste exactly like the hot peppered jerky I'm used to eating. But the second bite on that first chunk wasn't as bad and the third chomp was better. By the time I was into my 4th or 5th piece I was liking them. I first started gnawing on these things while I was driving. During that first hour I got thoroughly addicted to them.

This TVP^® is not true jerky but is made from soybeans. I like jerky that's really spicy. This TVP^® jerky fits that bill. It's texture is also a lot like jerky, so much so, that it's hard to remember this isn't the real thing. The same goes for the flavor. I really like this product.

Vegetable Stew With Rehydrated Jerky TVP®

I boiled some up today to see what it would do. I was amazed that it looked exactly like stew beef chunks so I made a vegetable beef stew with it. The texture, boiled, is also very much like well cooked beef chunks. It has a smoky flavor, however and doesn't taste like stew meat. Rehydrated, this would go well in dishes that already have smoke flavoring in them such as Boston baked beans.

So, how healthy is this product? I got to believe it's better for you than true jerky, however, it does have a lot of salt in it, just like real jerky.

I like this TVP^® as much as any I've eaten. It makes a great snack. You might like it too.