🔥 Before Food Trucks and Tastings, Jerky Was Survival

Long before jerky became a trendy high-protein snack, it was a way to stay alive.

The word "jerky" comes from the Quechua term “ch’arki”, meaning dried meat. In the high Andes, Indigenous people preserved meat using sun and cold mountain air — nature’s version of freeze-drying.

Across North America, Native American tribes made early versions of jerky by air-drying strips of bison or venison over open fires. It was a reliable, portable food source that lasted for months — ideal for travel, hunting, and winter.

Some tribes even mixed the dried meat with rendered fat and berries to make dense, energy-rich food used during long journeys (similar to what we now call “pemmican”).

These ancient techniques didn’t just preserve meat — they preserved culture, resilience, and life itself.

At Papa Did It. Gastro Family, we don’t just make jerky.
We carry the tradition forward — with fire, respect, and flavor you can trust.