誰說牛肉干一定是牛肉?

誰說牛肉干一定是牛肉?

If you've ever taken a cross-country road trip or loaded up your hiking gear with long-lasting snacks, it's likely you included dried beef jerky alongside such tried-and-true favorites as trail mix and GORP.

如果你曾經(jīng)進(jìn)行過一次越野自駕游，或者在你的遠(yuǎn)足裝備里裝滿了耐久的零食，你很可能會(huì)在干牛肉干的旁邊放上一些久經(jīng)考驗(yàn)的最愛，比如什錦干果(trail mix)和高爾普(GORP)。

The dehydrated meat snack has been around for centuries, with historians tracing its roots back to a South American native tribe called the Quechua. Part of the Inca empire, the Quechua called it ch’arki, which means "to burn meat." When Spanish conquistadors made their way up north, they encountered North American Indians practicing the same type of meat dehydration, often mixing their meat with available ingredients like berries.

這種脫水肉點(diǎn)心已經(jīng)存在了幾個(gè)世紀(jì)，歷史學(xué)家將它的起源追溯到南美一個(gè)名叫蓋丘亞的土著部落。印加帝國(guó)的一部分，蓋丘亞人稱它為“查基”，意思是“燒肉”。當(dāng)西班牙征服者北上時(shí)，他們遇到北美印第安人也在進(jìn)行同樣的肉類脫水，經(jīng)常把他們的肉類和漿果等可用的原料混合在一起。

According to the Wall Street Journal, 174 new jerky foods launched in 2018. (Photo: successo images/Shutterstock)

With its high protein content and long shelf life, jerky soon became a staple for American pioneers and cowboys. Other countries have their own version of jerky, too. South Africa has biltong, China has bakkwa, and Ethiopia has qwant'a, which is seasoned with a mixture of spices called berbere. All are some variety of dried meat flavored with local spices and sauces.

牛肉干蛋白質(zhì)含量高，保質(zhì)期長(zhǎng)，很快就成為美國(guó)拓荒者和牛仔們的主食。其他國(guó)家也有他們自己的牛肉干。南非有biltong，中國(guó)有bakkwa，埃塞俄比亞有qwant'a，用一種叫做berbere的混合香料調(diào)味。這些都是用當(dāng)?shù)叵懔虾驼{(diào)味料調(diào)味的各種各樣的肉干。

Bakkwa for sale at a Bee Cheng Hiang store in Singapore. (Photo: Chaerani (Meutia Chaerani)/Indradi Soemardjan [CC by SA 3.0]/Wikimedia Commons)

Today, the variety of jerky available is astounding. And with many people turning to vegan and vegetarian diets for health and environmental reasons, there's no reason meat should get all the glory. Whatever you like to chew (and chew and chew) on, there's a tasty shriveled snack out there for everyone.

如今，牛肉干的種類之多令人震驚。由于許多人出于健康和環(huán)境的原因轉(zhuǎn)向純素食和素食飲食，肉類沒有理由獲得所有的榮譽(yù)。不管你喜歡嚼什么，都有一種美味的干癟零食可以給你。

If you're craving something savory, why not try dehydrated mushrooms? The fungi is the latest darling of foodies, thanks its wide-ranging health benefits. This superfood is also one of the few non-animal sources of umami, and there's all kinds of DIY recipesout there online if you prefer to make your own.

如果你想吃美味的東西，為什么不試試脫水蘑菇呢?由于其廣泛的健康益處，這種真菌成為了最新的美食寵兒。這種超級(jí)食物也是少數(shù)幾種非動(dòng)物鮮味來源之一，如果你喜歡自己做，網(wǎng)上有各種各樣的DIY食譜。

Hawaii specializes in marlin and Ahi tuna, while Alaska is all about salmon jerky. What better way to use up your summer catch than by dehydrating filets for snacking during the long winter?

夏威夷盛產(chǎn)馬林魚和金槍魚，而阿拉斯加則盛產(chǎn)三文魚干。還有什么比在漫長(zhǎng)的冬天里把魚片脫水作為零食更好的方法來消耗你夏天的漁獲物呢?

Akua uses sustainably ocean-farmed kelp from the Maine coast to create their jerky. (Photo: Akua.com)

Exotic game is also getting into the, well, jerky game. Venison, alligator, elk, kangaroo, and wild boar are all available in the fast-growing jerky market. For those who like to nosh with a conscience, there's also jerky made from invasive species.

異國(guó)情調(diào)的游戲也進(jìn)入了，嗯，牛肉干游戲。鹿肉、鱷魚、麋鹿、袋鼠和野豬都可以在快速增長(zhǎng)的牛肉干市場(chǎng)買到。對(duì)于那些喜歡有良心地吃東西的人來說，還有一些由入侵物種制成的牛肉干。

If you're feeling extra-adventurous, kelp jerky is another recent addition to the dried snack world. One of the fastest-growing plants in the world, kelp is full of nutrients and has 10 times more calcium than milk! This New York-based kelp jerky comes in three flavors: sesame & nori sea salt, rosemary & maple barbecue, or spicy Thai & spirulina. It counts Sir Richard Branson as a fan, so consider giving the seaweed — or any of these unusual jerky offerings — a chew.

如果你覺得特別冒險(xiǎn)，海帶牛肉干最近添加到了干零食世界。海帶是世界上生長(zhǎng)最快的植物之一，富含營(yíng)養(yǎng)，鈣含量是牛奶的10倍!這種以紐約為基地的海帶干有三種口味:芝麻和紫菜海鹽、迷迭香和楓木燒烤，或辛辣的泰國(guó)螺旋藻。它把理查德•布蘭森爵士(Sir Richard Branson)視為它的粉絲，因此，考慮嚼一嚼紫菜——或任何一種不尋常的牛肉干。