Buy Jerky online from igourmet.com! Please visit our online store and go shopping at the number one imported food delivery service in the USA. Jerky is a dehydrated lean meat, most often beef but most any animal flesh can be jerkied. Jerky is a preserved meat, having been cured through a drying process. Salt is usually added in order to inhibit bacterial growth and Jerky is often marinated in seasonings prior to being dried or smoked under a low circulating heat.
History of Jerky
Jerky originated with the ancient Incan civilizations of South America in the 1500s. In the Incan Quechuan language, Jerky was called, "Ch'arki", translated as "dried meat". Ch'arki was made from sliced deer, elk or buffalo meat that was rubbed with salt, and either sun-dried or smoked. When Spanish explorers arrived in the New World, they discovered that Native Americans were already making what we call Jerky today. The Native Americans called their Jerky "pemmican", which was meat or fish Jerky prepared with berries and/or fat. The Spanish explorers discovered that the curing process allowed Jerky to be stored for long periods of time, and since Jerky was easily transportable and high in nutrition, it quickly became the snack of choice during times of exploration and colonization when access to fresh food was limited.
Beef Jerky Health Benefits
Today Jerky is made from most varieties of meat. Seasonings and spices may be added prior to the drying process to create unique flavors and textures. Since moisture and fat is naturally removed from the Jerky during the drying process, the nutrition natural found in meat is highly concentrated in Jerky. Jerky is high in protein and low in fat. igourmet offers Jerky that is a tasty low-fat snack perfect for hiking, weekend trips or for a gourmet snack to be enjoyed anytime during the day.
To find the best gourmet foods and gift baskets online, begin your search at igourmet.com.