PRODUCTION OF CHARQUI AND CHALONA

AUTHORS:

Lic. Celia Mamani Condori

Prof. Anacleto Ramos Barriga

Knowing that the province of Azángaro is the first processor of the food richest in protein
value, with a low cholesterol content, called Charqui and Chalona, a product of the
highlands with Peruvian identity and flavor.

The exotic, ecological and until now unexploited alpaca meat of our Puno highlands
represents expressions of our living culture, which is wrapped in a series of myths, beliefs
and traditions unique in their kind worthy of being highly valued products.

WE MUST START, ALWAYS KNOWING WHAT PRODUCT WE ARE GOING TO

DEAL WITH:

What is CHARQUI?

It is a processed product based on alpaca meat, it is characterized by being mostly pure

meat (dried), there is also charqui with bone.

What is CHALONA?

It is a processed product based on sheep meat .

GOODNESS OF THE ALPACA CHARQUI

Currently, alpaca meat is an important alternative for human nutrition,

because it does not increase the cholesterol content in the bloodstream,
which is why charqui is a clearly healthy product since it has a high protein
value, as will be seen in the following table.

MINIMUM MAXIMUM

 Proteins (%) 47.68 57.00

 Fats (%) 7.10 12.00
 Humidity (%) 13.06 23.04
 Iron (mg/100) 6.77 6.77
 Calcium (mg/10) 88.33 88.33
 Ashes (%) 30.62 30.62

La Chalona
In Peru, chalona is a jerky obtained from lamb and even alpaca meat. Its
origins are not very defined but it is presumed that they come from the Inca

Empire.
It is found as an ingredient in various dishes in the Puno, Cusco and Arequipa
Region.
Variants
In Bolivia, given the cultural and geographical connection between the Collao
Plateau and the Quechua culture, chalona is also known, distinguishing itself
by the fact that exclusively lamb meat is used.
In Argentina the same variant is known as in Bolivia, with the distinction that
the meat is "beaten" and shredded.

Elaboration

Freshly processed lamb meat is used.

Grooves are cut into the meat thus obtained with a knife so that the salt can
penetrate it. The salting process is important, since it depends on how long
the meat converted into chalona will last.
It is left to dry in the sun and in the cold of the night for almost a month.
SALTED
Definition
Salting is understood to mean organs, pieces of meat or adipose tissue that
have undergone a process intended to preserve them using salt, added
massively according to the technology of the product to be produced. The
salting to which the products are subjected can be dry (sodium chloride) or
wet (brine). The preparation can be concluded with smoking.
Construction and hygienic-sanitary requirements
Salting production plant
The salted meat production plant must meet all the requirements demanded
by this regulation for sausage factories, without prejudice to compliance with
any other hygienic-sanitary requirement stated in this regulation.

Isolation

Products included in salting

Salting list
The following products are considered as salted meats, among others,
according to the section: bondiola; salted pig's head; cured meats; cured
meats; salted pork ribs; chalone; salted pork skin; cooked ham; raw ham;
salted pig's snout or trunk; salted pork bones; salty tongues; salted pig ears;
salted pork shoulders; salted bacon; salted pig's feet; jerky; salty bacon; salty
spread; salted pork loins.
Bondiola
Bondiola is understood to be a salted dish prepared with muscles from the
pig's neck, which must undergo a maturation process. Once ripening is
complete, it is wrapped or placed in organic or plastic fabric and tied tightly.
The production of bondiola without any wrapping is permitted.
various organs
It is understood as salted pig head, salted pork rib, salted pig tail or tail,
salted pig skin, salted pig snout or trunk, salted pig bones,

salted tongue, salted pork loin, salted pig's ear, salted pig's leg, a salted dish
prepared for each of the designated anatomical parts.
Dried meat
Cecina is understood as a salted meat prepared with lean pork, salted and
dried in the air, in the sun, in smoke or by another approved means.

Chalona
Chalona is understood as a salting prepared with sheep meat, salted and
dried in the air, in the sun, in smoke or by other approved means.
Tasaje
Tasaj is understood as a salting prepared with beef, salted and air-dried.
Charque or jerky
Charque or charqui is understood as lean meat of the species permitted for
consumption, dried in the air, in the sun, with artificial heat or smoke, with
the addition of salt. When the meat has not been treated with salt, it is
included by extension among salting.
Raw ham
Raw ham is understood to be a salted product prepared with the pork leg,
with or without bone, which must undergo a maturation process.
Cooked ham
Cooked ham is understood to be a salted dish prepared with pork leg, with or
without bone and subjected to cooking.
Raw pork shoulder
Raw pork shoulder is understood as a salted product prepared with the
forelimb of the pig with its own muscles and part of those that attach it to the
trunk up to the carpal joint, subjected to a process similar to that of raw ham.
Cooked pork shoulder
Cooked pork shoulder is understood to be a salting prepared with the
anatomical piece described in the previous section, subjected to a process
similar to that of cooked ham.

Boneless and salted pork shoulder

Deboned and salted pork shoulder, raw or cooked, as the case may be, is
understood to be the salting prepared with the anatomical piece described in
the sections stripped of its bone parts.
salted bacon
Salted bacon is understood to be a salted product prepared with pieces of
adipose and muscle tissue from the abdominal region of the pig.

salty bacon
Salted bacon is understood to be a salting prepared with pieces of adipose
tissue from the dorso-lumbar and jowl regions of the pig, subjected to the
action of dry salt.
salty spread
Salted spread is understood as a salting prepared with the cavity deposits of
pork fat, subjected to dry salting and rolled or not.

USE OF MEAT

Meat production is an important line in camelid breeding. First, because

It is a food of high nutritional value that contributes significantly to the
nutrition of
the high Andean peoples, and second, because with a due reorganization of
the structure of the
herds and improved management and health, it is possible to obtain
comparable economic benefits
with the contribution of fiber.
The total production of meat naturally depends on the annual slaughter, that
is, on the number of
animals that are discarded annually from the herd to be destined for
sacrifice. Although there is no
specific data, it is estimated that the annual slaughter percentage, both in
alpacas and llamas, is
order of 10 to 12 percent which, as already mentioned, is due to the low
percentage of females that
It is usually kept in herds as well as low birth rates and high mortality of
offspring.
The majority of the herd is made up of old animals, females and males, that
have arrived
at the end of its productive life. This makes the presence of sarcocysts in the
muscles
high and the meat is of inferior quality.
 There are no precise statistics on
the number of llamas and alpacas that are destined for slaughter.
annually nor on the total amount of meat produced. A considerable
proportion of
animals are benefited without necessarily going through slaughterhouses
and therefore cannot
be officially counted. Taking as a basis an annual yield of 12 percent and the
existing populations of alpacas and llamas (Tables 1 and 2), it is estimated
that the number of animals
destined each year for benefit would amount to 348,000 alpacas and 120,000
llamas. With a weight of
carcass of 30 kg for alpacas and 55 kg for llamas, the corresponding
production figures for
meat would be 10,440 tons for alpaca and 6,600 tons for llama. How much of
this goes through
the slaughterhouses and how many are slaughtered outside of them is not
known.
There are no slaughterhouses dedicated exclusively to the slaughter of
camelids; the same ones are used
where other species are also sacrificed. The only meat processing and profit
center
of camelids that was established and put into operation in the mountains of
Arequipa, through a
project supported by the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation
(AECI), was deactivated
due to lack of market for the products. Another modular slaughterhouse built
especially for
alpacas in the Municipality of Maranganí, Department of Cusco, with financial
and technical support from
FAO is not fully operational at the moment.
The greatest influx of alpacas and llamas to slaughterhouses occurs in the
areas with the highest population of
these animals such as the Departments of Punto, Huancavelica, Apurímac,
Cusco, in which
There is also greater demand from the population for these meats.
The hygienic conditions of formal slaughterhouses, although they vary from
one place to another, are in general
generally acceptable and have veterinary inspection services. On the
contrary, the
Clandestine processing, outside the slaughterhouses, is carried out in
unhygienic conditions.
adequate and lacking sanitary control and veterinary inspection, which
constitutes a means of
spread of diseases.

The carcass yield is relatively high

compared to other species: an average of
55 percent in alpacas and 57 percent in llamas, with an average adult weight
of 116 kg for
llamas and 60 kg for alpacas. For the estimates of total meat production
mentioned above,
They have taken on lower body weights because they are waste animals.
40
Camelid meat has a nutritional composition similar to that of other domestic
species; is,
therefore an important source of proteins and other essential elements such
as minerals and
vitamins.
 Its organoleptic characteristics do
not differ from the meat of other species.
although that coming from whole adult males may have a stronger smell and
flavor.
Its consumption is in the form of fresh or processed meat (dehydrated meat
or sausages). He
Processing of both fresh and dehydrated meat is done in an artisanal way,
following
in many cases ancestral techniques.

The meat that comes from slaughterhouses is mostly intended for direct
consumption in the form of
fresh meat and, to a lesser extent, the production of other products, such as
sausages. For the
In general, the classification of carcasses by quality is not practiced and
there is no system
standardized cuts. A system similar to that of sheep is followed, even though
there are different
proposals for the camelid carcass. One of them consists of dividing the
carcass into three parts
main ones: steak (leg and arm) which represents 47 percent; the churrasco
(loin,
rib churrasco) which represents 15 percent, and parboiled (neck, breast,
ossobuco,
ribs and brisket) which makes up the remaining 38 percent. There are other
proposals that
They consider a greater number of cuts.
A considerable part of the meat of llamas and alpacas is marketed after a
process of
dehydration, in the form of jerky or chalone. In both cases, ancient
technologies are used
which date back to pre-Hispanic times and basically consist of drying meat
with
adding salt and some seasonings. The difference between charqui and
chalona is that
For the first, boneless meat is used mostly, cuts of the muscular portions,
while for the second, the whole carcass is used, without bone. The most
appropriate time for
both processes is between the months of May and August, which are the
driest, with abundant
solar radiation and low night temperatures.

The techniques for making charqui have some variations from one place to
another, although the
principle is the same. In a study carried out in 16 peasant communities of
Ayacucho and
Huancavelica it was found that the steps followed in the family production of
charqui are: a)
laminated meat; b) sprinkling with granulated salt and c) natural drying,
with direct exposure to
sun. In most cases the total duration of the process varied from 15 to 25
days.
To make the chalone, cuts are made in the muscular regions of the entire
canal.
in order to introduce the salt; In addition, the entire surface of the carcass is
covered with salt. Drying is done
exposing themselves to the sun during the day and the cold at night, until
dehydration is achieved. The process
lasts between 7 and 8 days. It is a dehydration and freeze-drying process.
Charqui comes from llama meat on a larger scale because it is practiced more
at the small level.
producers. In larger alpaca farms, such as companies
associations and medium-sized producers, the collective slaughter of animals
destined for
to take out and then process them in the form of chalone.
The giblets are partly consumed fresh and partly processed as dried meat.

salted for preservation.

Regarding the destination of the charqui and the chalona, it is estimated that
30 percent is for
self-consumption and 70 percent for commerce, with the final destinations
being the populations of the
jungle, mining centers and coastal cities, in order of importance. Studies
done on
yield of charqui and chalona indicate percentages that vary from 25 to 46
percent (Vilca,
1991).
The production of sausages based on camelid meat has not yet reached great
magnitude despite
the potential that this form of use has to open a larger market for this type of
meat and
promote breeding systems aimed at supplying more tender and higher
quality animals
to the market. There are successful experiences in the preparation of
sausages based on camelid meat.
The TCP/RLA 2914 project, supported by FAO and executed by the
Universidad Peruana Cayetano
Heredia, in cooperation with CONACS, has among its purposes the training of
technicians in the
preparation of camelid meat sausages with the addition of extenders based
on products
natives of the region. In this way, the aim is to reduce costs without
sacrificing nutritional value, and
make products available to lower-income people. The results obtained in the
Preliminary trials are very promising.
Currently, the use of camelid meat in the commercial production of sausages
is
still limited. Some private companies are using them in combination

action with others

meats for making chorizo.
Other meat products that are eventually manufactured from camelid meat
include
ham and canned preserves. Promising results have been achieved in the
trials carried out
about preparation of these products; However, they have not yet been
developed on a commercial scale.
Byproducts such as blood and viscera are also used at the domestic level.
The consumption of fresh camelid meat in urban centers is limited; It is more
widespread in
the cities located in the alpaca and llama production areas and, within them,
between the
lower-income population sector. Generally the sale price is equivalent to half
of the price of sheep or beef. In general, there is some discrimination due to
mainly due to prejudices about their nutritional quality and state of hygiene
and health. To this
The low quality of meat from old animals and the presence of sarcocysts
contribute.
There is a growing interest in promoting the consumption of alpaca meat
through the offer of recipes
and special dishes on the menu of restaurants both in Lima and in the
provinces, especially in the
places that receive a high tourist flow, such as Cusco. It is also possible
find alpaca meat in some supermarkets in Lima; Likewise, some restaurants
They offer special stews based on this meat
With the supply to the market of better quality meat, coming from young and
free of parasites such as sarcocystiosis, it is possible to expect the opening of
a much
higher and more equitable in price, for camelid meat. There is also an
important
export potential due to the growing demand for exotic meats produced under
conditions
grazing as is the case of alpacas and llamas. Furthermore, these are lean
meats with a low
cholesterol content.
Outside of the viscera, the main byproducts of animal processing are the skins
and
leathers. The viscera, fresh or dehydrated, are intended for self-consumption.
Frequently, in the
clandestine slaughter, the dogs are fed with some viscera, which constitutes
the vehicle of
transmission of many parasitic conditions such as sarcocystiosis and
hydatidosis.
The skins are mainly used for artisanal uses. The skins of
young animals, under 6 months of age, for the quality of their fiber. The
hides are used
for the tanning and manufacturing of a series of products such as shoes,
jackets, bags,
straps, etc. Llama leather is especially valued for making bows or ropes, for
its great tensile strength.

Charqui
Charqui (a word of Quechua origin that refers to jerky) is dehydrated meat,
covered with salt and exposed to the sun. It was used in yesteryear before
the appearance of the refrigerator (1883) and is still used today to preserve
meat for long periods. In the Andean and southern regions of South America,
charqui or charque is called a way of preparing meat for its preservation for
long periods. It corresponds to what is usually called jerky although, as will
be seen below, charqui has its particularities.
Preparation
The usual preparation method begins by cutting the meat into slices or strips
as thin as possible, removing the fat and, as much as possible, the blood
("meat juice", which is sometimes given to children). The strips prepared in
this way are hung in dry, ventilated and, above all, very sunny places, until
they take on a texture similar to that of cardboard and even leather,
protecting them from flies with mosquito net type fabrics, after drying they
are They are placed in clay ovens or on the fire to be cooked. On certain
occasions the drying can be reinforced by resorting to smoking.
Once the meat is dried, it is usually stored in containers between layers of
common salt and sometimes adding pepper, paprika and chili peppers, also
dried. More rarely, layers of honey and propolis are used to preserve jerky.
Form of consumption
It is then observed that charque is essentially dehydrated meat from cows,
pigs, llamas, other auquénids, sheep, etc. If the dehydration is carried out in
areas such as the Puna or the Andean Altiplano, due to the characteristics of
the climate, the charqui is practically freeze-dried meat and can be consumed
without any other preparation, although the most common thing is that, like
some, it is eaten rehydrated. being a main ingredient in stews or forming part
of the filling of empanadas, tamales, etc. And in eastern Bolivia it is consumed
fried accompanied with boiled yucca, and boiled and mashed for majadito,
plantain masaco or yucca.

Carne-de-sun

Carne-de-sol (sometimes also called: jabá) is a Brazilian preparation made

from dried meat (exposed to the sun) for about four days. It is also usually
called in different parts of Brazil as carne-de-sertão, carne serenada, carne-
de-viagem, carne-mole, carne-do-vento, cacina ou carne acacinada.

Charqui

There are several recipes to prepare this Creole food, which actually has
antecedents as old as the knowledge of salt. The ancient gaucho made it by
putting slices of meat between the upper pelero and the carona, in this way it
was salted with the horse's sweat. At night he hung it high so that the dogs
wouldn't eat it, and when he was breathing he put it in the sun to speed up
drying. This system definitely did not have ISO 9000 health control standards
but it saved more than one countryman from going hungry.
Sandra Velarde, woman from Mollar, Tafí del Valle, courtesy of Dr. Pancho
Ocaranza, gave us a way to do it that comes out exquisite: The charqui must
be made before taking the cows to the mountains, this is between the months
of March or April, time to butcher the animals (remember that this way of
working is very close, therefore the meat is obtained from your own farm),
obviously if you live in the city, just go to the market. The most used cuts are
the “ soft or the stews that also serve for locro.” The meat is filleted, put in a
pan in salt one night, “that cooks the meat and causes it to lose water,” then
it is hung in the sun ( at a safe height so that dogs or cats do not eat them) on
a rope or lasso throughout the day “until the sun goes down.” This last
process lasts a week. After the week, it is ground to stop losing the juice, it is
hung for another week, and it is stored in a cardboard bag or in a lunch box
so that it stays dry.
Another way to do it is the following:
- A piece of boneless meat weighing about 2 kilos is chosen. - It is laminated
with a single piece as thin as possible. - It is salted with coarse salt or if it is
not available, with fine salt. - It is hung in the sun at a reasonable height. to
prevent dogs or cats from noticing it. The hanging ends are separated with a
partition to facilitate the aeration of the markets. - It is kept like this for 24
hours. - It is removed from the wire and pressed for approximately an hour
and spread with good aeration. You have to prevent the alpapuyo and the
serene so that at night it is preferable to put it under a roof.- You put it again
in the sun but on the other side so that the cooking in the sun is even.- You
press it again- And lastly day returns to the sun.
In this way, with three days of exposure to the wind and sun and 2 hours of
pressing, this dried meat can last more than 30 days in dry places. When the
charqui (or charque) is prepared, it is preferable to put it in dry places.

THE CHARQUI
It is dehydrated meat, it is covered with salt and exposed to the sun. It was
and still is used to preserve meat for long periods.
In the Andean and southern regions of South America, charqui or charque is
called a way of preparing meat for its preservation for long periods. It
corresponds to what is usually called jerky although, as will be seen below,
charqui has its particularities.
The usual preparation method begins by cutting the meat into slices or strips
as thin as possible, removing the fat and, as much as possible, the blood
("meat juice", which is sometimes given to children). The strips prepared in
this way are hung in dry, ventilated and, above all, very sunny places, until
they take on a texture similar to that of cardboard and even leather,
protecting them from flies with mosquito net type fabrics. On certain
occasions the drying can be reinforced by resorting to smoking.
Once the meat is dried, it is usually stored in containers between layers of
common salt and with the addition, sometimes, of pepper, paprika and dried
chili peppers. More rarely, layers of honey and propolis are used to preserve
jerky.
It is then observed that charque is essentially dehydrated meat from cows,
pigs, llamas, other auquénids, sheep, etc. If the dehydration is carried out in
areas such as the Puna or the Andean Altiplano, due to the characteristics of
the climate, the charqui is practically freeze-dried meat and can be consumed
without any other preparation, although the most common thing is that, like
goulash, it is eaten rehydrated. , being the main ingredient in stews or
forming part of the filling of empanadas, tamales, etc.

A LITTLE STORY"

By María Paz de la Cruz

Justina Morales is a 32-year-old mother from Puno and a successful
businesswoman. In 2000, a friend convinced her to use the capital she had
raised from the sale of groceries into the production of jerky. He invested
5,000 soles, sold the production to the National Food Assistance Program
(PRONAA) and obtained a profit of 1,800 soles. The work was hard, but the
financial reward encouraged her to continue. Today she is president of the
Aswanqari Charqui and Chalona Processors Association, and with 'Pulpita',
their registered trademark, they are beginning to enter the demanding
international market. In addition, they will soon be on the shelves of Wong
and Metro supermarkets.
'Pulpita' is offered shredded, diced, bars, rolled and smoked. The variety and
quality of its products allow you to reach any destination. "Our product is
aimed at segments A and B, we have the certificate of good manufacturing
practices, an excellent presentation, barcode and health registration," says
Justina as an expert businesswoman.
In April, the Aswanqari association launched its product in Puno and
presented its website www.charquiperu.com , as well as a recipe book of
meals based on charqui with more than 20 dishes. Charqui solterito, charqui
chili, charqui stroganoff, charqui in wine with quinoa puree, charqui tiradito
and Mediterranean salad with charqui are some of the alternatives offered to,
as a scholar of the subject has pointed out, free the popular olluquito to this
dehydrated auquénid meat.
gourmet jerky
While charqui in Peru is a popular ingredient commonly served with
olluquito, in the United States it is offered with a different presentation and
added value.
According to the latest trends and projections, charqui will leave popular
dining rooms to become part of New Andean food and the Peruvian
gastronomic revolution. The most demanding palates will delight in the flavor
of this alpaca meat forgotten by gourmet cuisine for so many years.
The United States has its own local production of jerky and it is known as
'jerky'. The demand for this meat came after more than a century and a half
of circulation as emergency food and is currently served in various
restaurants in a sophisticated way.
In a complete article, The New York Times assures that one can no longer feel
sorry for jerky. According to Laurent Méchin, an American chef consulted by
the newspaper, it is a perfect meat that has not been given much credit. "It is
low in cholesterol, high in protein, does not make you fat and has a strong
flavor. Except for salt, there is nothing in it that is harmful," he asserts.
Méchin works at the Four Seasons in Wyoming and presents jerky in thin foie
gras scallops. On the other hand, a deli in San Francisco sells it in paper cones
for $25 a pound (about $50 a kilo).
Charqui, according to The New York Times, is perfect accompanied by a
cabernet sauvignon wine, whiskey or a martini. In addition, he adds, it has
acquired great popularity in the United States thanks to its promotion in the
famous Atkins diets, and has caused sales to quadruple between 1995 and
2006, reaching 2.7 billion dollars. Ted Hall, owner of a ranch in Napa-
California where they produce this meat, predicts that very soon people will
sit in the afternoons on a bench looking at the Pacific Ocean, with some fresh
fruits, eating jerky and telling stories. "They will be perfect moments," he
assures
What is cecina or dried meat?
Published 02/06/2010 01:03 PM | Updated 08/12/2015 09:14 AM

What is cecina or dried meat?

Jerky is a form of curing. The term "corning" has no relation to corn. The name comes
from Anglo-Saxon times, before refrigeration existed. In those days, meat was dry cured
with coarse "corns" of salt. Salt granules, some the size of a kernel of corn, were rubbed
into the beef to prevent spoilage and preserve it. Today, brining (the use of salt water)
has replaced dry curing with salt, but the name "corned beef" is still used, instead of
beef "in brine" or "in vinegar". Spices commonly used to give beef jerky its distinctive
flavor are peppercorns and bay leaves. Of course, these spices can vary by region. Beef
Jerky and Food Safety .

CHALONA
FOOD

Chalona is a food obtained by drying sheep meat. Its origins are not very clear but they are
attributed to the Inca Empire. Pieces of bone-in meat are placed in a container with the salt
and usually left there for at least one whole night. Then they are hung on a high rope so that
they receive air and sun and in this way they dry out. Depending on the recipe and the area,
chalone is sometimes kept for months in a cool, dry place.
In certain regions of Peru, Bolivia and Argentina it is, even today, a common food. The
Jujuy recipe is distinguished by the fact that - unlike charqui , which is made from beef - it is
made exclusively with lamb, the bone is left and sometimes the meat is beaten until it crumbles
and grooves are made with the knife. so that the salt penetrates it. The salting process is
essential, since it depends on how long the meat converted into chalona will last.
In some regions of the Puna of Jujuy, this food is left to dry in the sun and in the cold of the
night, for more than twenty days. It is generally prepared to be used later as an ingredient in
more elaborate dishes, such as empanadas, locro, tamales, stews, spicy dishes, etc.

Chalona
For other uses of this term, see chalona (biology) .
Chalona is the dehydrated lamb meat that is used and widely spread in countries such as Peru
, Bolivia , northern Chile and northwest Argentina .
Although its origins are not very well defined, it is believed that this technique, like that of
charqui (made from alpaca and llama ) comes from the Inca empire , although sheep did not
exist in America before the arrival of the Spanish.
Chalona is found as an ingredient in the gastronomy of the Arequipa , Cusco , Moquegua ,
Puno , Tacna , Salta and Jujuy regions.
CHARQUI

1. Thin pieces of cooked and dehydrated meat. Traditionally, jerky is sun-dried and may be
smoked or marinated for flavor.

Charqui
See also: Dried meat

Beef jerky.

Charqui (< Quechua ch'arki , " cecina ") is dehydrated meat that is covered with salt and
exposed to the sun. It was used in the past, before the appearance of the refrigerator (1883),
and is still used today to preserve meat for long periods. In the Andean and southern regions
of South America , charqui or charque is called a way of preparing meat for its preservation for
long periods.

CHARQUI
FOOD

Charqui in Quechua means skinny and dry. In Jujuy, charqui is the food made up of thin
strips of salted meat, exposed to the air and the sun so that it is dehydrated for preservation.
Usually the meat, already cut into slices and stripped of fat and blood, is placed inside a
bowl with a good amount of salt. It is left there overnight and then hung in the sun on a high
rope to keep the preparation safe from the voracity of domestic animals. After three or four
days in the sun, the meat can be stored in a cool, dry place, sometimes for months.
Its use is very common in northwest Argentina since pre-Hispanic times and until the
present. In some traditions, the meat was placed under the saddle so that it was salted with
the horse's sweat.
Charqui is currently used as an ingredient in different family recipes: it is cooked with
potatoes, beans and seasoned with paprika and spices. In addition, charqui empanadas and
tamales are made.
Dried cow meat is generally called charqui, while lamb or sheep is called chalona . During
the pre-Hispanic period and during the conquest and colonial times it was an essential item.