Move over potato chips,
there's a new favorite snack in town.
😎
What is jerky & why has it become such a popular snack?
Meat snacks accounted for $1.56 billion in American convenient store sales in 2018. Jerky by itself earned convenient stores a total of $641.8 million in 2018. Beef jerky also remains the most popular snack among soldiers and astronauts. Indeed, the category has expanded to snackers, health-conscious shoppers, teens and every age demographic. Meat snack sales have grown in recent years, with total meat snack dollar sales up 33% since 2013, according to IRI data. Nielsen predicts annual growth of more than 4% for meat snacks through 2022, from a category that is already a $2.8 billion business in the U.S.
Beef jerky is a great source of protein with a long shelf life, often without the need for refrigeration.
Meat processing has been around for years, and the habit came from a need for survival.
It all started in ancient times when civilizations were trying to find the best way to preserve meat. It’s believed that Ancient Egyptians are the first people to attempt this method.
Native Americans also used dried and preserved meats to get through rough winters and American settlers and the Spanish learned jerky methods from them. It became an important part of military history and still is today, proving to be an efficient source of protein for soldiers.
The word jerky comes from the word ch’arki, meaning
“to burn (meat).”
Soon, people began adding spices to their jerky recipes to make for more enjoyable food, rather than food of necessity.
Today, a focus on health and recreation has kept beef jerky alive. It isn’t just cuts of beef used for jerky either — you can often find turkey, chicken, pork, buffalo, and other dehydrated meats in the jerky section of your favorite grocery store. Jerky is a meat that has a moisture reduction of less than 50% and has a stronger flavor than uncured meat. It is a low fat, high protein snack, which makes it so popular!
"You want to get the right meat to ensure your jerky comes out the right texture. When selecting cuts of meat for making beef jerky, I try to pick a nice roast with very little fat marbling. My first choice is an eye of round roast. After that, I think a top round, sirloin roast, or rump roast would also work well. Some of the best jerky comes with cooking it with real wood."
ON - THE - GO Consumers are snacking more and eating fewer sit down meals, which has led them to look for snacks that pack a nutritional punch.
“Meat snack sales have increased 3.5% over the last year to $2.8 billion, according to Nielsen, with 7% compound growth over the last four years."
Beer & Jerky:
The Perfect Pairing 👌🏼
"This jerky is juicy and soft. It's not tough and dry like a lot of the other brands out there. Tillamook Jerky is so full of flavor & each bag has a window on the back so you can see its deliciousness before you even peel open the bag. It is truly mouth watering jerky packed full of protein and low in calories."
Jerky is a healthy, convenient & flavorful snack that everyone loves!
