Pemmican: The Spam Of The Seventeenth Century

"...Pemmican is a mixture of tallow, dried meat, and dried berries that is used as a nutritious food. Historically, it was an important part of indigenous cuisine in certain parts of North America and it is still prepared today..."

Thus Wikipedia. I remember pemmican as a product advertised in magazines like Guns and Ammo back in the day the phrase "It is written" was the same as saying, "This is true". Of course, we all know better now. Still, I always wondered what this miracle survival food was all about, and how it has become an integral part of the history of the West as we know it.

In researching this post, I discovered that a number of books had been written where pemmican played a major role. Award-winning Canadian author Katherena Vermette, a descendent of the Métis peoples, who used pemmican as a theme in some of her works. She wrote a graphic novel that included an introduction to pemmican, and the role it played in Native American life.

An image from Katherena Vermette's graphic novel, Pemmican Wars. (Portage and Main Press)

By now I'm sure you're all anxious to start making your own pemmican to complete your personas as trekkers making their fortunes in the unsettled frontier. And you must wonder, as I did, how it tastes. Here's a quote, taken from the web.

"...I have eaten many different types of pemmican. They taste slightly different depending on the meat and the fruit used but all of them are like greasy, meaty and sweet/tart. They do give you an insane burst of energy and keep you full for sometime..."

If you remain undeterred, I present two Townsend videos on the history and making of the SPAM of the Seventeenth Century. Savor, and enjoy!

So pass the pemmican, and I'll see you on the trail!