Real Turmat Kylling Karri (Chicken Curry) Review

Overview

Real Turmat meals are made by chefs in Tromsø, Norway, using 100% natural ingredients. The parent company, Drytech, was founded in 1989 and has roots supplying freeze-dried rations to the Norwegian Armed Forces

— so there’s genuine pedigree behind the product.

Kylling Karri is a classic stew combining tender Norwegian chicken with rice in a rich, aromatic curry sauce.

It’s aimed squarely at three-season backpackers and expedition hikers who want a hot, satisfying dinner without hauling a kitchen.

Key Specs

Spec	Value
Dry Weight	132 g
Gross Weight	149 g
Prepared Weight	500 g
Calories	627 kcal
Protein	15 g
Fat	30 g
Carbohydrates	70 g
Dietary Fibre	4.2 g
Salt	3.3 g
Water Required	370 ml (3.7 dl)
Prep Time	8 minutes
Shelf Life	5 years
Allergens	Gluten, soy, mustard
Lactose-Free	Yes
Comparison	See how Kylling Karri compares to similar gear

Performance

Taste & Texture

Kylling Karri has been a proven trail favourite for years — it’s described as a classic casserole with rice in a tasty curry sauce, and has been a favourite among many hikers for several years. The flavour profile leans mild-to-medium rather than genuinely spicy — the curry component is only 0.8% of the formula, so anyone expecting a fiery vindaloo will need to pack a bottle of hot sauce. What it does deliver is warmth and depth, boosted by a sweet note from the 7.4% pineapple in the ingredient list. That sweet-savoury contrast works well after a long day on the trail when you want comfort over challenge.

Real Turmat meals are freeze-dried, which means the ingredients retain their shape and structure better than other forms of dehydration — the result is meals that often have better texture and mouthfeel than competitors.

The rice and chicken pieces in this bag rehydrate fully within the stated 8 minutes when you use properly hot water (90–100 °C). In my experience, anything below a rolling near-boil tends to leave the rice slightly al dente at altitude; give it a 10-minute steep if you’re camping above 2,000 m.

The combination of rice, chicken, onion, peppers, pineapple, chicken stock and curry spices is not too spicy but really hits the spot on taste.

Packaging

This is where Real Turmat separates itself from most of the field. Real Turmat packages are vacuum-packed, which has two benefits: pack size is notably smaller, and no oxygen absorber is needed inside the bag. The smaller compressed footprint is a genuine win when you’re squeezing five days of dinners into a bear canister or stuff sack. The pouch has a ziplock seal, nicks on each side to allow the top to be easily torn off and the height to be reduced for eating, and a fill line clearly marked on the outside face. The outer fill line works fine once you know it’s there, but if you’re fumbling with a headtorch in the dark it’s easy to miss — an internal line would be better.

Nutrition

At 627 kcal from a 132 g dry bag, you’re looking at roughly 4.75 kcal/g — a respectable calorie density that sits in the middle of the freeze-dried pack. The full nutritional breakdown per bag is 627 kcal, 30 g fat (3.7 g saturated), 70 g carbohydrates (7.1 g sugars), 4.2 g fibre, 15 g protein, and 3.3 g salt. The 15 g of protein is on the lean side for a standalone dinner — if you’re running a calorie deficit on a big-mile day, consider supplementing with a handful of nuts or a protein bar alongside this one. The salt figure (3.3 g per bag) is worth noting too; that’s on the higher end, and some reviewers have flagged Real Turmat’s range as noticeably salty. After a sweaty day it may feel welcome; on a cooler rest day it can feel like too much.

Allergen Profile

The meal is lactose-free and the sauce is crafted to be friendly for those with lactose intolerance.

However, it contains gluten (wheat flour in the sauce), soy (in the chicken bouillon), and mustard (in the curry spice), so it’s not a fit for coeliacs or those with those specific intolerances.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Vacuum-sealed packaging — significantly smaller pack volume than nitrogen-flushed alternatives
• Proven, well-liked flavour with real texture; chicken and rice both rehydrate cleanly
• Lactose-free — broadens the compatible user base
• No oxygen absorber to fish out of the bag
• 5-year shelf life makes bulk-buying practical
• Simple preparation: add 370 ml of warm water to the fill line, stir well, close the ziplock, and rest for 8 minutes

Cons

• 15 g of protein is modest for a main dinner — not ideal for high-output days
• Salt content is rather high at 3.3 g per bag — may be too much for low-sodium diets
• Fill line is only on the outer face of the bag; easy to miss in low light
• Contains gluten, soy, and mustard — not suitable for several common dietary restrictions
• Spice level is mild; dedicated curry fans will want to augment it

• The ingredients list contains more additives and E-numbers than some competing brands

Who Should Buy This

This is a solid choice for three-season backpackers, thru-hikers, and expedition travellers who are lactose-intolerant and want a compact, proven dinner that won’t disappoint. Real Turmat is the same food that supplies Norwegian Armed Forces field rations, so reliability and consistency are baked in. If you’re gluten-intolerant or need a high-protein dinner, look elsewhere in the range — Real Turmat’s vegan Asian Curry is gluten-free, for example. But for the hiker who just wants a tasty, no-fuss hot meal with a small pack footprint, Kylling Karri earns its place in the food bag.

Verdict

Real Turmat Kylling Karri does what the best trail food should: it disappears reliably, tastes better than it has any right to at the end of a hard day, and packs down small thanks to the vacuum seal. The modest protein count and high salt are real trade-offs worth knowing before you commit to a bulk order — but they don’t undermine the overall value of this meal. I’d rate it 7.5/10 — a dependable, crowd-pleasing choice that has earned its long-running popularity in the Nordic outdoor scene.