What is beef jerky?
Beef jerky is beef that has been seasoned and dried until most of its moisture is gone. Drying gives jerky its firm, chewy texture; together with salt, curing and a sealed pack, it also gives jerky a long shelf life. The result is a compact, ready-to-eat snack made from real meat, which is why jerky has been travel and trail food for generations. Unopened NAKOTNE jerky keeps without a fridge, at +2 to +25 °C, until the best-before date printed on the pack, usually 12 to 24 months from production; once a pouch is open, eat it within 72 hours.
The NAKOTNE jerky and meat sticks we sell are made in Latvia by SIA "Gaļas pārstrādes uzņēmums Nākotne", an IFS Food certified producer. Each box holds eight 35 g pouches (8 × 35 g), so a portion is easy to take with you.
How is jerky made?
The process is simple in principle and precise in practice. It usually runs like this:
- Selecting and trimming the meat — suitable cuts are chosen and excess fat is removed, because fat does not dry the way muscle does and shortens shelf life.
- Slicing — the meat is cut into thin, even strips so it dries uniformly.
- Curing and seasoning — salt and spices are added for flavour, and salt also helps preserve the meat. Many commercial jerkies, NAKOTNE included, are also cured with the preservative sodium nitrite, as ham and bacon are.
- Smoking and drying — the strips are dried at controlled temperatures until they reach the target texture and moisture level. Some jerky is smoked as well: NAKOTNE jerky is hot-smoked and dried.
Meat sticks follow a related idea, but they are usually made from finely chopped, seasoned meat that is shaped into sticks before smoking and drying, so their texture is more even than that of sliced jerky.
Which cuts and meats are used?
Jerky can be made from several meats, and the name usually tells you which:
- Beef jerky is traditionally made from well-trimmed cuts of the hind leg (the round in the US; topside and silverside in the UK), because this meat dries evenly and keeps well. NAKOTNE beef jerky and beef sticks list "beef ham (origin: EU)", which is meat from the upper hind leg.
- Pork jerky and pork sticks have a milder flavour than beef. NAKOTNE Pork Jerky Original is made from pork loin (origin: EU), and the three NAKOTNE pork sticks from pork ham (origin: EU).
- Chicken appears in our range as meat sticks, not jerky: NAKOTNE Chicken Sticks are made from chicken fillet (origin: EU).
The best choice comes down to taste and the flavours you enjoy. You can browse the different meats and flavours across our jerky and meat stick range, or go straight to the beef jerky or beef sticks, and check the ingredients of each one on its product page.
What does "meat content" actually mean?
This is the number that separates real jerky from filler-heavy snacks, and it is worth understanding. Because drying removes water, it takes considerably more raw meat to produce a smaller amount of finished jerky. NAKOTNE beef jerky uses 153 g (Teriyaki, Barbeque and Jalapeño) to 210 g (Original) of beef for every 100 g of finished product. Pork Jerky Original takes 250 g of pork per 100 g, and the NAKOTNE meat sticks 160 g to 179 g of meat per 100 g, depending on the meat.
The figure reflects how much fresh meat is concentrated into each 100 g once the water has gone. A high meat content is a good sign that you are buying genuine dried meat rather than a product padded out with other ingredients. It is also why EU labels do not show a meat percentage above 100%: when more than 100 g of meat goes into 100 g of product, EU labelling rules (Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011) require the amount to be given as grams of meat used per 100 g of product. The front of the Original pouch puts it plainly: "IT TAKES 210g OF BEEF FOR 100g BEEF JERKY".
Jerky vs biltong vs "dried meat"
These terms are often used loosely, but they describe genuinely different products:
- Jerky is meat cut into thin slices or strips, seasoned and dried with heat; many commercial jerkies, NAKOTNE included, are also cured and hot-smoked. The pieces tend to be thin and the texture chewy.
- Biltong is a South African style that is typically cut thicker, marinated in vinegar, salt and spices, and air-dried rather than heat-dried. It is often sliced after drying, giving a different texture and flavour profile.
- "Dried meat" is simply the broad umbrella term. All jerky and biltong are dried meat, but not all dried meat is jerky — the cut, the cure and the drying method are what define each style.
What to look for on a label
A clear label is the easiest way to judge quality. When you pick up a pack, check for:
- Meat content — given as grams of meat per 100 g of product when more than 100 g of meat went in; the higher the figure, the more meat went into each 100 g.
- The ingredients list — ingredients are listed in descending order of weight, so in a meat snack the meat should come first, ideally with its origin. On NAKOTNE beef jerky it reads "beef ham (origin: EU)".
- Allergen information — allergens in the ingredients list must be highlighted in the EU. NAKOTNE labels print them in capitals, for example "SOY sauce (contains SOY beans, WHEAT)" in the Teriyaki.
- The nutrition table — your reference for protein, fat, salt and sugar per 100 g.
- Producer and origin details — who made the product and where. NAKOTNE pouches say "Made in Latvia" and name the producer, SIA "Gaļas pārstrādes uzņēmums Nākotne", which is IFS Food certified.
Every NAKOTNE jerky and meat stick is high in protein, but the exact protein, fat, salt and sugar values differ from product to product and flavour to flavour. Per 100 g, protein ranges from 18.6 g (pork sticks) to 53.7 g (Pork Jerky Original), sugars from 1.3 g (Pork Jerky Original) to 29.1 g (Beef Jerky Jalapeño) and salt from 2.9 g (pork sticks) to 7.5 g (Beef Jerky Teriyaki). For the precise figures, always check the nutrition table on the pack or the product page, together with the full ingredients and allergens. If you would like a quick overview first, our FAQ page answers the most common questions.
A note on enjoying jerky
Jerky is a snack, best enjoyed as part of a varied, balanced diet — it is not a meal replacement. Treated that way, each 35 g pouch is a ready-made portion for work, travel or an afternoon at your desk. Explore the full NAKOTNE range to find the meats and flavours you like best, and check each product page for the details that matter to you.
Beef jerky FAQ
What does the word "jerky" mean?
It comes from ch'arki, a Quechua word for dried, salted meat from the Andes. Spanish speakers wrote it as charqui, and English turned it into "jerky". Read the full story in our short history of jerky.
Is beef jerky raw meat?
NAKOTNE beef jerky is not raw: it is cured, hot-smoked and dried, and the pouch describes it as a ready-to-eat snack. Hot smoking, unlike cold smoking, cooks the meat.
Is beef jerky a cured meat?
Usually, yes. Every NAKOTNE jerky and meat stick contains salt and the preservative sodium nitrite, the classic curing agents also used in ham and bacon.
Does beef jerky contain pork?
NAKOTNE beef jerky does not: the only meat in its ingredients is beef ham (origin: EU), and the same is true of the NAKOTNE beef sticks. Pork is used in Pork Jerky Original, the three pork sticks and the mixes that include them (the Stick Mix and the Party Mix). Some meat snacks combine different meats, so the ingredients list is always the place to check.
