I’m not a huge meat eater, so when I saw FoReal Foods Coconut Jerky on shelf I had to give it a try. I like turkey jerky (at least some brands). I like the smoky flavor profiles with peppery spices that linger after eating a good jerky. I am fully aware that jerky makes a horrible breath mint, so I do my best to be conscientious of where and when I eat it.

I took a few photos for this blog and when I opened the package of coconut jerky and peered inside, I was freaked out. So freaked out, in fact, I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t take a bite – at least not by myself.

The next day, I took the bag of coconut jerky to work to see who I could sucker into tasting this “treat” with me. Let me start by saying, my co-workers were a little freaked out, too, when they saw the coconut jerky for the first time. It has such an unappealing visual presence. So we laughed and scoffed at what we were about to eat and how it couldn’t possibly be coconut, but some unfortunate animal in the rodent family. And then we all tasted at the same time.

Here are some of the remarks I heard:

“This tastes even worse than it looks.”

“It’s an abomination to the jerky industry.”

“It’s missing the smoke flavor of real jerky.”

“It’s hard to figure out the flavor profile. It’s murky.”

“The texture is okay, but I just can’t get past the way it looks.”

And there you have it. Not a single soul out of six people trying this product would ever purchase it. Well, that made my job easier here. IMBHO gives coconut jerky a great big NO, too.

I do have to say that I like the idea of coconut jerky; I like having meatless snacking options. But if you’re going to produce a product like this, it must hit all the marks, and FoReal Foods hits none of the marks that make a good jerky.

I also like the philosophy of this company and applaud them for their efforts, but I think more R & D is needed to perfect the product. Just because you’re vegan or a vegetarian doesn’t mean you should be forced to endure such tragedies as this.

To learn more about FoReal Foods and what they stand for, visit their website.