Hungry Buddha - Coconut Jerky (Teriyaki)

I'm of the mind that in most food situations, if an item is made up of things that I like individually, then together, I will most likely like it.

So by that rationale, this item would be perfect. I mean... I love coconut. I love jerky.

When I opened the bag, the smell was... interesting. I think it was more faint teriyaki than coconut, but it wasn't strong or anything so it didn't bother me much.

The look of the coconut jerky reminds me of the pig ears or bone treats you give dogs to chew and gnaw for dental health. The pieces are dark brown and appear to be hard... and some of the pieces are but once you break off a piece, you can chew it. In comparison to coconut chips, they are considerably larger in size. I guess the best size description I can think of is if you've ever had dried fruit slices like pineapple rings or apples. They're roughly that size.

The flavor is not jerky. I say that here because most of the time when I try something that claims to be one thing but an alternate version of that, the flavor profile is roughly similar to the original item. Case in point, I've had beef jerky since I was little, and all the brands basically taste the same even if one brand has a leaner cut and another a thicker cut. I've also had other meat types of jerky - turkey, fish, etc. And they all taste and feel like "jerky."

Now perhaps it's because this is a fruit and not a meat that this rule doesn't seem to apply. With that said, this is in no way (in my opinion) jerky-ish at all. The texture is off, but then again, it's coconut so the process could obviously affect the end result. The flavor profile is off for me as well. I can taste a little bit of both coconut and teriyaki, but those two components mixed together with the other seasonings are just not making my palate very happy.

The bag is 1.4oz - with one serving being half the bag (90 calories per serving).

I'm open to trying other coconut jerky types/brands or other coconut jerky flavors by this brand, but this particular flavor wasn't happymaking for me at all.

https://www.buddhabrandscompany.com/hungry-buddha/

Later my lovelies.

Have Goodness!
Rae

Hungry Buddha Coconut Chips

I will be perfectly honest - as much of a lover of coconut I am, I'm not really a coconut chip eater. Well... at least not solo. If it's in a trail mix or something, I'll partake - but this snack is not something that comes to mind when I feeling a bit peckish.

But when I saw the following two items, I immediately became intrigued so I picked them up to try later.

Disclaimer: I'm not a spicy person by any means. It's only been until my later years that I will randomly not only crave spicy food but tolerate it, but it's completely random. I can't have had - say a ghost pepper and be okay with it only to go to a restaurant down the road and order a ghost pepper dish there. Again - my body is random so I have to always do the meek taste test and if it's okay (aka I don't die or hack up a lung), then I can eat the rest of whatever else was offered to me.

Wild Wasabi

Smells okay. Granted the only time I've ever truly "smelled" wasabi was when I put too much in my soy sauce while eating sushi and almost snarfed it up. (I'm pretty sure in this context you can guess what I mean by "snarf" - and no, not the creature from Thundercats - but even if you're not exactly right with what I mean, I'm pretty sure you'd be close enough.)

Back to the smell - it smells okay, but I can't smell coconut. I do smell a little... something? - but not coconut or wasabi.

The coconut chip feels and looks toasted, the color a light brown hue. There's no seasoning dust or anything on it - just the coconut itself.

Ahhh... there it is. It's baked in. How? I have no idea, but it's really in there. It tastes like the coconut was dusted with wasabi paste or powder. The wasabi isn't overwhelming - only giving a hint of spice and that's it. There's a bit of a salty taste to it but again, not a lot - only a hint.

I really like these.

Smokin' Sriracha

Where I couldn't smell anything from the Wasabi bag, I definitely smell sriracha from this bag. No coconut - just sriracha.

They (of course) feel toasted. However, they look very much like a barbecue potato chip - slightly orange-red.

And the taste - THE TASTE?

I immediately thought "barbecue potato chip." The flavor is just as subtle as the wasabi - there but not overpowering. In the beginning, I wasn't feeling any heat. I tried a few more - still nothing. Then I grabbed a small handful, and that's when I started to feel the heat. But it's not too much. It's just enough.

These bags are 40g each and are 250 calories per serving - one serving being the whole bag.

I like these - I REALLY like these. I would say of the two, the wasabi was my favorite. Thank goodness they come in such small portions or I may make myself sick eating too much of them.

https://www.buddhabrandscompany.com/

Later my lovelies.

Have Goodness!
Rae