Beef Jerky, the greatest snack of all time?
When I consider the thousands of different snacks I’ve consumed in my life on this beautiful planet Earth, there are quite a few that will always have a special place in my heart, either because they bring about a large amount of nostalgia in me, or they have become a part of me in an almost familial way.
Some, like those candy cigarettes from the 80’s, bring back memories of my child hood, wistful thoughts of when times were better. A time when your parents didn’t care that you left the house in morning and didn’t come home until dinner time. Though still sold in some places, many would consider it offensive to give a candy cigarette pack to a child today. Sigh, old times.
Then you have others like the timeless jawbreaker, a snack that continues to trudge on like the Walking Dead, remorselessly punishing our mouths to the point of untold millions of half eaten breakers having been spewed out onto our nations pavements and into garbage's. Man I hate those.
But of course, there’s my favorite snack of all…Beef Jerky
Oh So Special
There’s something quite special about beef jerky. This salty, sometimes chewy, sometimes peppery meat snack just seems to always have the top position for me. It’s my go to for almost all travel ventures, whether it be taking a road trip to Lake Tahoe, or flying down to Mexico with the family. Whether I’m just hanging out with my friends, or watching a late night flick at home. No matter what I’m doing, it seems like I can always rely on that tasty beef jerky bag to be ready to satisfy and curb whatever snack attack I’m in the midst of. It’s like a ready made bag of love that never judges you, and is able and willing to make you feel better instantly.
The 80’s Jerky Experience
I can still remember my first introduction to beef jerky around age 7. Our family was living in Montana at the time. My dad had been told by a neighbor that a house about 30 minutes away sold “the best beef jerky ever made”. A bold claim to be sure, and well worth checking out according to my dad.
Back then the internet didn’t exist, so it’s equivalent was Ted who lived next door. Ted was a balding man in a wife beater who drank Bud Light, smoked camels, and always was grilling something in is backyard. He also somehow possessed the secrets of the universe. In any case, my dad was convinced about the authenticity of this mystical jerky, so we all packed into the family wagon, and drove over to the house that made it. This was the late 1970's, so picture the yellow station wagon with faux wood sides, no ac, and an 8 track playing E.L.O.
The house were arrived at was basically just like anybody else’s house in Montana, which meant lots of yard and a big scary dog in the front lawn. While we waited in the wagon my dad rang the doorbell and talked to the owners. We anxiously watched the dog while we waited. That dog was like Cujo on steriods, at least to me and my sister. Anyway, within a couple minutes my dad came back carrying a shoebox. When he got inside the car and opened the box to reveal a bunch of long strips of beef jerky along side the most amazing smell. He gave each of us a strip and I bit into mine.
It’s pretty hard to describe that first bite. The slice I was given was around 2–3 inches wide and 8 inches long, thin but still about a quarter inch think. It simultaneously was slightly moist, yet covered with a zesty fine power. I took my first bite and found it to be chewy, but still able to tear off with my teeth. The flavor was pure bliss. A mixture of smoke, soy, pepper, and other indescribable seasonings. To this day, I still don’t know the exact ingredients, nor do I recall the name of maker of that jerky. But needless to say, from that point forward, I was completely and utterly hooked on beef jerky. I simply can’t imagine a better snack.
Check out one of my favorite jerkies, People’s Choice Old Fashioned
And apparently it’s not just me that feels this way about jerky…
Americans Love Jerky
According to U.S. Census Bureau, almost half of all Americans eat meat snacks and beef jerky regularly. That’s nearly 160 million people! You can pretty much toss a coin up at each person you see, and odds are you’d be right nearly half the time with picking a fellow jerky consumer. It truly is a snack that transcends all boundaries and unifies us. I’m actually surprised that it’s not talked about more.
With so many new snacks out there, it’s actually pretty amazing jerky is still so prevalent. When I was a kid the selection of snacks to choose from was a bit more limited. Sure, you still had your basic Cheetos and classic Lays Chips and others. But there were FAR less flavors then they have now. And there was no healthier options like those fancy gluten free Seaweed Crips. No family sized Veggie Straws. A Cliff bar was a place you drank beers at near the ocean. It’s a bit of testament to jerky that it’s still so a part of our snack habits when there’s so many other choices.
Jerky History
Have you ever wondered who invented Jerky? I often did growing up. For some reason my kid belief was that ancient Egyptians along the Nile discovered it. Back then I guess I always attributed cool discoveries having originated from the Egyptians and the pyramids. My adolescent mind pictured some sacred cow sacrifice inside a pyramid one day, and while doing that boom, jerky was invented! Yeah, that’s how my kid imagination rolled.
The real story, according to the sites like Jerky.com and LibertyCattleCompany.com is that jerky has been seen as far back as the 1500’s, where a South American tribe called the Quechua had discovered the art of drying meats. Apparently they came from Peru and had a thing for llamas. Anyway, the Spanish Conquistadors came along and being well, Conquistadors, took over their land and kind of forced them into labor (similar to what happened in California to the native Indians). In the process though, the Quechua taught them the drying meat technique, and soon the Spanish settlers were producing more dried meat than anyone else in the America’s. From this evolution stemmed the first real “jerky” as we like to call it.
Jerky Today
Jerky is super popular today. Where once there was only a handful of brands and recipes, there are now a plethora of flavors to choose from and tons of brands: Jalapeno, Soy, Teriyaki, Sweet and Sour, Pepper, Chilli flavor, the list is endless. And with the advent of home dehydrators, it becomes even easier to enjoy this amazing snack as amateur jerky makers dabble in creating their own masterpieces to impress the neighbors.
Interested in making your own jerky at home? Try a dehydrator
Another reason jerky has become popular is the new keto diet crazes. Though keto diets vary, the underlying concept is to avoid carbs while increasing protein, which jerky definitely fits the bill for. The fact that it tends to be low in fat helps even when not doing a keto diet. If you’re looking for a good snack to eat while dieting, beef jerky is not a bad option.
Conclusion
Whether you’re like me and have a long history with jerky, or pretty much just getting started with jerky as a snack, there’s still no better time to be a jerky lover. The sheer number of options out there are almost overwhelming (but in a good way). Whether your dieting, traveling, or just hanging out, a nice bag of jerky is always ready to make you feel great.
After all, half the country can’t be wrong can they?
Check out another one of my favorite jerkies, Wild Bills Hickory Smoked
(* disclosure: I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post *)
