Wednesday, August 12, 2009

What is Jerky? A Brief History

Contrary to popular belief, the process that is used to make all forms of jerky is not radically different to the way jerky was made thousands of years ago.

Yes, jerky has been around since the very beginning of civilisation! Let's take a look back and see how the concept of jerky has run parallel to the development of our civilisation as a whole.

Let's go back to the time before recorded history. Pre-historic man was able to live in areas that had ready access to food and water. At this point, the human diet consisted mostly of fruits. As man progressed and started to forge weapons, he acquired the ability to hunt. Consequently, meat became an integral part of the human diet but was consumed in its raw form. Since the meat was consumed raw, it could only be utilised for one meal or sitting, or else it would spoil.

Eventually, man gained the ability to manipulate fire. This was a major development for several reasons. With regards to food production, the use of fire allowed man to cook and develop foods that were tastier and healthier. However, this innovation also allowed man to dry meat using a method known as 'smoking'. This process removed the larger part of water content from meat, rendering it an inhospitable environment for germs and bacteria.

Now, man could traverse greater distances and explore new territories since he had the ability to create food supplies that would not spoil easily. You can imagine what a huge effect this had on the development of our species. Geographic mobility is perhaps one of the most important developments in the history of mankind's progress.

So next time you eat a piece of jerky, remember that this food product is not just a slice of dried meat; rather, it is a integral part of our heritage and our history.

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