Jerky is lean meat that has been trimmed of fat, cut into strips, and then dried to prevent spoilage. Normally, this drying includes the addition of salt, to prevent bacteria from developing on the meat before sufficient moisture has been removed. The word "jerky" is a corruption of the Spanish charqui which is from the Quechua word ch'arki. which means to burn (meat). All that is needed to produce basic "jerky" is a low-temperature drying method, and salt to inhibit bacterial growth.