Beef Jerky - historically speaking

Dried meat has appeared in various forms over centuries on all continents. The beef jerky, as we know it and produce for Simple Jerky, originally comes from an ancient tribe of the Incas, the Quechua, who lived in present-day Peru. The Quechua called their dried meat "Ch'Arki." With the arrival of the Spaniards in South America, "Ch'Arki" quickly spread. The conquistadors recognized the usefulness and nutritional value of Ch'Arki, and it became an essential part of their provisions. The Spaniards brought their Charqui, as they called it, to the North American continent. In what is now the USA, buffalo or bison meat was already being processed into dried meat by the North American natives at that time. This "Pemmican" served either as emergency rations or as travel provisions. A combination of the Spanish Qu'Arki and the Indian Pemmican was quickly adopted by trappers, settlers, and cowboys as a nutritious, easy-to-transport, and long-lasting snack, ultimately being renamed "Jerky."

Dried meat was of course not only found on the North and South American continents. Meat was also preserved by drying in South Africa. Indigenous tribes such as the Khoikhoi cured various types of meat and preferred to hang it high in trees to dry. European settlers adopted this method of processing meat, further refined it with spices, and ultimately called it Biltong.

"For the history lovers among you, here is an interesting article about the history of Beef Jerky:"

Ch'Arki - The Original Jerky Method of Preserving Meat