Jerky

Jerky

It might not look appetizing, but the taste speaks for itself.

Courtesy Larry Jacobsen/Creative Commons/Flickr

Dehydrated meat shriveled almost beyond recognition -- an unlikely source of so much gustatory pleasure, but jerky is a high-protein favorite of backpackers, road trippers, and snackers everywhere.

It's American food the way we like our wilderness grub -- tough and spicy.

We like the creation myth that says it's the direct descendant of American Indian pemmican, which mixed fire-cured meat with animal fat. Beef, turkey, chicken, venison, buffalo, even ostrich, alligator, yak, and emu. Peppered, barbecued, hickory-smoked, honey glazed. Flavored with teriyaki, jalapeno, lemon pepper, chili.

Jerky is so versatile and portable and packs such nutritional power that the Army is experimenting with jerky sticks that have the caffeine equivalent of a cup of coffee.

However you take your jerky -- caf or decaf; in strips, chips, or shreds -- prepare to chew long and hard. You've still got your own teeth, right?