Dongbei beef jerky

Dongbei beef jerky

　　Its production history also goes back a long way. During the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1573–1619), Dongbei served as a relay station along the official route from Lan Shan, Xin Tian, and Jia He in Hunan to Guangzhou, with over 100,000 travelers passing through every year. Cattle were slaughtered daily in Dongbei town to supply merchants, but when there were occasional leftovers due to oversupply, the perishable nature of beef meant that the merchants would incur losses, which greatly troubled all the butchers. One butcher had a sudden inspiration and tried roasting the meat over charcoal, discovering that it had an exceptionally delicious aroma. He then experimented by adding various seasonings, which enhanced the flavor even more. The making of Dongbei beef jerky began this way and has been continued to this day.