Jerky is as old as time but where does it come from? The word “jerky” derives from “Charqui” which in the language of the Incas means “to burn meat”. The word “charqui” comes from a South American native tribe, called Quechua. The Quechua commonly used alpaca or llama meat, which has been boned, sliced, pounded thin, salted, and sun-dried or smoked over the fire!
Humans aren’t the only beings to make “jerky”, since ancient times, red fire ants used to make a stash for a rainy day. They've been "making jerky" by storing bits & pieces of prey just under their anthill to dry, to be eaten when food is less abundant. Some squirrels make mushroom jerky too. Red squirrels hang fungi out to dry between tree branches and this keeps them over the winter.
In 1996, the jerky made its way from the Kennedy Space Centre towards Russia’s Mir Space Station, where all the crew aboard enjoyed this lightweight, high protein treat.
Macronutrients break down if you were to eat only beef jerky for a day (with a 2000-calorie diet)
- 11 grams of fibre (around 44% of daily value)
- 126 grams of fat (around 200% of daily value)
- 55 grams of carbohydrates (about 50% DV of a normal carb diet and 100% DV of a low-carb diet)
Have you tried our jerky yet? Please do so now!
