Who invented jerky

History of Beef Jerky Beef jerky is marinated dried meat sourced from beef. It is cured in salt to prevent spoilage from bacteria, stripped of fat, trimmed into strips, and seasoned with different spices. Beef jerky is recognized to be high in protein and low in fat, making it a nutritiously popular snack. Historically, the jerky isn't just all about beef.

Thousands of years ago, the South American tribe of Quechua in Peru introduced the boning, curing, smoking, and preserving of meat.

Buffalo was the main source of meat in those days and buffalo jerky was the first type of jerky. They call this recipe Ch'arki which translates "to burn meat".

How Beef Jerky Came To Be When the Spanish conquistadores arrived on South American shores, they discovered that the natives were skilled in preserving dried meat products that can be easily taken during travels.

Experimentation with different types of meat also expanded to include venison, deer, elk, and other wild game animals. The fact that the natives could hunt for meat anywhere and easily gorge on their food makes Ch'arki a valuable cooking method. All natural, gluten free beef jerky has reached a great deal of popularity. Most people think of beef jerky as such an American snack that they assume that the meat is sourced in America, but the truth is that the majority of mass-produced big brand jerky uses beef from other countries such as South America and as far away as Australia because it is cheaper.

Most organic beef comes from these countries too. Their year round warmer climate is an advantage that most American ranchers do not have.

Jerky today is not only known as a healthy snack but also as a great high-protein snack. Instead of the need for preservation with Jerky, companies are now making gourmet jerky which comes in a massive range of flavors and styles. For more detailed information about sodium levels in jerky, read this blog article too: Is beef jerky high in sodium?

Is a high sugar content an issue in beef jerky? Well, the issue is an issue with many brands of jerky but it does not have to be that way.

Find lots of low sugar, delicious jerky choices: Low Sugar Beef Jerky. There are even earlier archeological records that indicate that the Ancient Egyptians preserved different meat and produce items by leaving them out in the sun to dry. The importance of preserved foods to Ancient Egyptian culture is exemplified by the abundance of preserved food found in the excavated tombs, some of which remained remarkably intact.

Early Native American tribes made a version of beef jerky, just in a slightly different form. They combined mixed berries, fat, and ground meat to make concentrated small cakes known as Pemmican.

The combination of fat and dry meat created a nutrient-dense snack with a long shelf life. Learn how to Make Your Own Pemmican. This preserved food helped the native tribes get through the winter months.

Early settlers learned jerky preparation from the Native Americans and adopted the preservation technique. Smoking was a popular preservation technique for various tribes in North America. Smoking methods varied by tribe—the techniques ranged from a small enclosure to a large fire in the open.

Traditional smoking structures included smoke sheds and tipis large enough to smoke large quantities of game. Bison or buffalo was a popular protein source for jerky, but jerky was made with wild game as well. Northwest tribes relied heavily on fish and smoking the annual catch during peak season provided sustenance throughout the year. To answer the question—did Native Americans invent jerky—not exactly, but their smoking of meat for preservation plays an important role in the development of modern day beef jerky.

The cowboys prepared the beef jerky through a variety of techniques that included sun-drying, smoking, and salting. They would slaughter the animal—cattle, bison, deer, elk, or antelope—and strip or jerk the meat.