Jerky

Jerky is a type of food made from thin strips of lean meat. The meat is dried to keep it safe to eat, often with the addition of salt. The word "jerky" comes from the Quechua language.

Today, many kinds of jerky are made by adding special seasonings or smoking the meat at low heat. Store-bought jerky is often ready to eat and can stay good for many months without needing refrigeration.

People all over the world make their own versions of jerky. For example, in South Africa it is called biltong, in Turkey it is called pastirma, and in Nigeria and Cameroon it is called kilishi. Different places have their own unique ways of making this tasty dried meat.

Preparation

Jerky can be made from many kinds of animals, both farm and wild. Farm animals used for jerky include llama, beef, pork, goat, and mutton or lamb. Wild animals such as guanaco, deer, kudu, springbok, kangaroo, and bison are also used. Other animals like turkey, ostrich, salmon, chicken, and even shrimps can be found in jerky too.

Before drying, most of the fat is removed from the meat. The meat is then sliced very thin so it can dry quickly. Salt is often added to improve the taste and keep the jerky fresh. Other ingredients like black pepper, garlic, soy sauce, and sugar can also be added for flavor.

At factories, special ovens dry the jerky quickly. At home, people use dehydrators that blow warm air over the meat. Other methods, like smoking or salting, are also used to preserve and flavor the meat.

Packaging

After drying, jerky is cooled and put in special bags that can be sealed again. These bags are filled with nitrogen gas or sealed tightly to keep the jerky fresh. Small packets inside the bags help keep the jerky tasty longer. Because jerky has very little fat and moisture, it is rich in protein. For example, a small piece of jerky can have a lot of protein. Unpackaged jerky has been sold in specialty stores in places like Hong Kong since the 1970s. In the United States, this type of jerky is often sold in clear plastic containers and called "slab" jerky.

Regulation

Most countries have rules to keep jerky safe and fair. Factories must follow special cleaning plans and have inspectors to check the food. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations helps create these rules around the world.

In the European Union, there are extra rules for bringing jerky into the area. The EU makes sure that only certain countries can send jerky, and it must be treated in special ways before it can be sold there. The rules help keep animals and people healthy.

In the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture makes sure jerky is made safely. For poultry jerky, it must be heated to a certain temperature to stay safe to eat. This means uncured poultry jerky needs to reach 71 °C (160 °F), while cured poultry jerky needs to reach 68 °C (155 °F).

Nutrition

A 30 g piece of fresh jerky has about 10–15 g of protein, 1 g of fat, and 0–3 g of carbohydrates. Some beef jerky can have even more protein, up to 65%. Because jerky uses salt to stay fresh, it can have a lot of sodium. A 30 g serving might have more than 600 mg of sodium, which is about 30% of the usual recommendation.

Market size and popularity

The market for jerky snacks around the world was worth $5.66 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow. North America, especially the United States, leads this market.

In the United States, sales of jerky snacks grew in 2024. More people are enjoying salty and spicy snacks and are interested in snacks that have protein.

Largest companies in the industry

Europe

The biggest maker of beef jerky in Europe is The Meatsnacks Group (Valeo Foods). They also make biltong, another kind of dried meat snack. This company now includes salmon jerky in its products.

North America

The biggest beef jerky maker in North America is Link Snacks, Inc. (Jack Link's). They sell a lot of jerky in the United States.

As a military combat ration

Jerky, like beef jerky, is often used in military combat rations. It is a good choice because it is easy to carry, stays fresh without needing refrigeration, and gives soldiers protein and energy. Soldiers have used jerky for a long time, even when fresh food was hard to find. Modern military meals, such as the Meal, Ready-to-Eat (MRE), also include jerky. It is light, easy to store, and helps give energy when food is not prepared. Besides beef, military rations sometimes have turkey jerky or other kinds of dried meat. Some special rations even have caffeinated jerky to help keep energy up.

Ch'arki

Ch'arki (Quechua for dried, salted meat; Hispanicized spellings: charque, charqui, charquí ) is a type of dried, salted meat. In places like Peru, Bolivia, and Chile, this meat comes from alpacas, llamas, or their mixes. Peru makes the most of this meat in the world. In Brazil, the meat used is beef.

To make this special meat, people add salt and let it dry in the sun. In some areas, like Puno, they cut the meat into slices before drying. In other places, such as Cusco, they dry the whole pieces of meat with bones still in them.

When the Spanish met the Inca Empire, they found that the Inca people used llama ch'arki to feed travelers staying in tampu (inns) along the Inca road system. The Inca used a special way to dry the meat by freezing it, using the cold, dry mountain air and strong sun.