REAL Turmat Pulled Pork with Rice Review

Overview

REAL Turmat meals are made in Tromsø by Drytech, a company that has supplied field rations to the Norwegian Armed Forces since 1989.

The Pulled Pork with Rice is the brand’s flagship freeze-dried meal — reportedly REAL Turmat’s best-selling flavour. At 121g dry and 547 kcal, it sits in the standard-serving tier of the lineup; if you need more fuel, there’s also a larger “Field Meal” version at 155g and ~700 kcal.

Key Specs

Spec	Value
Dry Weight	121 g
Rehydrated Weight	500 g
Calories	547 kcal
Protein	20.3 g
Carbohydrates	59 g
Fat	24 g
Dietary Fibre	5.2 g
Salt	4.2 g
Calorie Density	4.52 kcal/g
Water to Add	380 ml
Prep Time	8 minutes
Dietary	Gluten-free, Lactose-free
Allergens	Soy
Shelf Life	5 years from production date
Country of Origin	Norway
Comparison	See how Pulled Pork with Rice compares to similar gear

Performance

Rehydration and Texture

Prep is about as straightforward as it gets. Tear off the top of the bag at the indentation, add 380 ml of hot water up to the level marker, stir well, close the bag using the ziplock, and let the dish rest for 8 minutes. The vacuum-sealed pouch is equipped with a water line allowing easy rehydration of the meal.

REAL Turmat meals are freeze-dried, which means that the ingredients retain their shape and structure better than other forms of dehydration — the end result is meals that taste a bit more like real meals, with better texture and mouthfeel.

That definitely holds here.

The meal rehydrated very quickly — fit to eat within 5 minutes — and the pulled pork retained its texture admirably.

Rice-based freeze-dried meals often turn to mush, but the pork pieces stay distinct and chewy.

A recurring tip from users: adding a little extra water beyond what’s stated works well. A few people also reported that if you don’t stir properly, the bottom corners can come out slightly underhydrated with a straw texture — user error, mostly, but worth a thorough stir mid-way through.

One interesting option for stoveless hikers: for stoveless adventures, these meals cold soak really well too. Allow extra time — 20-25 minutes rather than 8 — but it does work.

Flavour

The flavour profile is sweet and savoury with a mild smokiness. The sauce is sweet and balanced and not very spicy — every bite is calm and steady in taste, which suits long days outdoors. Don’t come in expecting heat. The Tabasco in the ingredients list is background seasoning, not a kick. Spice-lovers should pack their own hot sauce.

One legitimate concern: it definitely doesn’t need as much salt. At 4.2g of sodium per pack that’s on the high end, and after a few consecutive days eating REAL Turmat meals you may notice it. For shorter trips it’s unlikely to matter.

Packaging

One thing REAL Turmat does that most other brands don’t: packages are vacuum packed. This has two benefits — pack size is smaller, and no oxygen absorber is needed.

The flip side:

all the air is removed from the packaging, which can actually make them slightly more awkward to pack in your rucksack as the packets are hard rather than pliable, and don’t stack together as easily.

In a cuben roll-top they just get stuffed in wherever they fit — not a dealbreaker, but a fair gripe.

Calories per 100g are displayed far more prominently than the more useful calories per pack, which can be confusing when you’re tired at the end of a long day.

A minor labelling annoyance, but worth knowing.

There are nicks on each side of the pouch to allow the top to be easily torn off and the height to be reduced for eating.

The tear point is closer to the top than other brands, so a long-handled spoon is essentially required

to reach the bottom.

Calorie Count: Watch the Version

The 547 kcal standard version reviewed here is fine for a moderate lunch or a light dinner, but may leave big-mileage hikers short at the end of a hard day. If you’re burning through 4,000+ kcal daily, the Field Meal version at ~700 kcal is the smarter pick — same recipe, more of it. Worth knowing the difference before you order.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Genuinely good flavour — one of the most praised freeze-dried meals in user reviews across multiple platforms
• Pulls off real pork texture where many competitors deliver protein paste
• Fast rehydration (~8 min); cold soak also viable
• Gluten-free, lactose-free, no palm oil
• Vacuum packaging keeps bulk low and eliminates oxygen absorbers
• 5-year shelf life from manufacturing date makes it easy to stockpile
• Every meal is fully cooked before freeze-drying, which shows in the result

Cons

• 547 kcal is modest for a standalone dinner; the Field Meal version at ~700 kcal is a better match for high-output days
• Salt content (4.2g per pack) is high; multiple users flagged it
• Rigid vacuum pouch doesn’t pack as conformably as foil pouches
• Calorie labelling leads with per-100g figures rather than per-pack
• Premium price point delivers a lower calories-per-dollar ratio compared to budget competitors
• Soy allergen rules it out for some hikers who might otherwise tick every other dietary box

Who Should Buy This

This is a strong choice for backpackers and mountaineers who treat trail food as part of the experience rather than an afterthought. It suits gluten- or lactose-intolerant hikers particularly well given the clean dietary profile. If you’re thru-hiking with a tight calorie budget, do the maths — 547 kcal may mean reaching for a bar or two to round out dinner. For weekend trips, base camps, or anyone who just wants a meal they’ll actually look forward to, it’s hard to beat.

Verdict

REAL Turmat Pulled Pork with Rice earns its best-seller status honestly. The texture is better than nearly everything else in the freeze-dried category, the flavour is well-balanced if not adventurous, and the prep is dead simple. The main caveats are the salt load, the rigid packaging, and a calorie count that doesn’t quite reach dinner territory on its own for hard-pushing hikers — issues the Field Meal version largely resolves. If you’re considering buying one meal to test the brand, this is the one to start with.