When I saw this package of pineapple jerky, I wasn't sure what to think or say about it. As someone who loves meat snacks, this dried slice of pineapple resembled something akin to a layer of plywood. But I thought to myself that no one is going to launch a business around something if it ain't at least good.
Hawaiian Jerky Co. was founded in May 2008, by Brian Dunhke who had spent time interning at a couple of resorts on the big island of Hawaii during his college years. After graduating, he returned to Hawaii and took up permanent residence on Maui. The inspiration for his pineapple jerky came from a friend who had lived in Hawaii since the 1970s, and recalled how he would buy up dried pineapple as a way to get a quick burst of energy while surfing. He called it "Hawaiian Jerky".
The company claims this pineapple jerky is differentiated from "dehydrated pineapple" because it contains no aspartame, no sugars, and no sulfur dioxide. It does contain added honey, however.
Ingredients
Pineapple, honey.
Taste
The taste off the surface is a strong pineapple taste, and a very sweet honey taste at that. It's more of the same during the chew, but with more concentrated pineapple taste.
It's not tart like any of the other dehydrated pineapple products out there. It's more smooth and mellow. I think the added honey is a great touch to this, it has a clear honey flavor, not just a sugar flavor.
It also retains a fresh taste, I don't get any sense of this being stale or beyond ripe.
Otherwise, there's not much else to say on the flavor, but that you'll get a great taste of pineapple in this, boosted by some honey.
Meat Consistency
Despite this having a woody appearance, it doesn't feel that way at all. It's somewhat soft, and chews similar to those "Fruit Roll-Ups", but retaining some of the texture of pineapple. I get small pieces of pineapple stuck in the recesses of my teeth.
These are sliced very thin. The edges are more thick, hence the photos below may not give you a true sense of how thin these are. Overall, a bite from this pineapple jerky still provides a chewiness that will satisfy a meat snacker's need to chew.
The core (in the middle) is more hard, but I was still able to chew it. I think there's more tangy flavor in it as well. The company warns consumers not to eat it, but I think it's just there as a liability statement.
There's also a slight stickiness on the surface.
Product Value
Jerky.com sells this pineapple jerky from its website at a price of $12.49 for a 4 ounce package. That works out to a price of $3.12 per ounce, making this an expensive buy. Keep in mind that price also includes the shipping.
For general jerky snacking purposes, it's definitely snackworthy and it does satisfies a need to chew. But the price of $3.12 per ounce might prevent someone from making this a part of their daily snacking regimen.
As a pineapple jerky, it's offers a decent value with its sweet pineapple taste. Again, the high price begs someone to question if having a piece of dried pineapple that comes free of preservatives is worth paying so much more money than regular dried pineapple.
Rating
I'm giving this a best rating.
This pineapple jerky from Hawaiian Jerky presents a strong, fresh, pineapple taste in a dried fruit product, boosted with a bit of honey. It actually provides a chewing experience that perhaps qualifies the "jerky" name. Together, it's very snackable.
The simplicity in taste might suggest some level of monotony, and it might if I were to continue eating more and more. But the taste of pineapple is another one that I happen to enjoy a lot, and after eating four slices of this stuff, I still want to eat more.
It actually pairs up nicely with beef jerky, especially spicy stuff. After a few ounces of beef jerky, this pineapple jerky provides a sweet contrast that soothes a salted tongue.
A very light tasting beer would go well with this, like a blonde ale.
Rating: 
Best
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In my recent trip to Hawaii I found these bags of Dole Plantation Brand Ham Jerky selling inside the ABC Stores. Dole is the famous producer of tropical fruits like pineapple, banana, and mango.
Next in the series on Mike's Jerky is this Special Pineapple. See my previous reviews of their Lemon Pepper, Santa Fe, and Black Pepper varieties.
Next in the series on Steve's Original is this Coconut Pineapple Paleokit. See my previous review of their "Just Jerky".
When I saw this package of pineapple jerky, I wasn't sure what to think or say about it. As someone who loves meat snacks, this dried slice of pineapple resembled something akin to a layer of plywood. But I thought to myself that no one is going to launch a business around something if it ain't at least good.
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I'm Steve Johnson, and I've been in the Internet marketing and publishing business since 1997. I've been a life-long fan of beef jerky and decided to merge my profession with my snack food of choice, and gave birth to Best Beef Jerky.
