Before energy bars filled our shelves with colorful wrappers and health claims, there was pemmican—a compact, powerhouse food made by Indigenous peoples of North America. Designed for survival in the harshest conditions, pemmican provided everything needed for long winters, long hunts, and long journeys. Made with dried meat, rendered fat, and dried berries, it was the original no-frills, high-performance superfood.
Recently, I recreated a pre-Columbian version of pemmican using homemade venison jerky, rendered duck fat, and dried cranberries—simple ingredients, deeply historical roots, and enough nutrition to fuel a soldier or a settler. But this dish isn’t just about sustenance—it’s about honoring the food systems and ingenuity of Indigenous cultures.
Pemmican’s Roots: From the Plains to the Paddle
The word pemmican comes from the Plains Cree word pimîhkân (pronounced pih-MEE-hkahn), derived from pimî, meaning “fat” or “grease.” The technique was perfected by several Indigenous nations, particularly the Cree, Métis, Ojibwe (Chippewa), Blackfoot, and Lakota Sioux. These groups relied on pemmican not just as a food, but as a strategic survival tool—a calorie-dense, long-lasting supply of energy for times when hunting was scarce or travel was long.
Typically, meat from bison, elk, or deer was dried over open fires or in the sun, then pounded into a powder. It was combined with rendered animal fat and sometimes dried fruit such as chokecherries, serviceberries, or saskatoons. This mixture was then packed into animal skins or rawhide bags and sealed with more fat to keep air out. The result? A product that could last months or even years without refrigeration—ideal for warriors, hunters, and later, fur traders who paddled thousands of miles across the continent.
The First Written Accounts of Pemmican
While pemmican had been part of Indigenous food systems for centuries, it first appeared in written form in the travel journals of colonial explorers and fur traders. Naturalist Peter Kalm referenced a version of it in his Travels into North America in the 18th century, and Alexander Mackenzie, the famed explorer of Canada, described pemmican in his 1793 expedition logs.
By the early 1800s, it was central to the economy of the Hudson’s Bay Company and the North West Company. These companies supplied their voyageurs—men who paddled canoes loaded with trade goods and furs—with up to a pound of pemmican per day. It was lightweight, easy to carry, and provided all the energy needed for grueling physical labor. In many ways, pemmican was the fuel that powered the fur trade.
What Is Pemmican, Exactly?
At its core, pemmican follows a simple, brilliant formula:
- 1 part powdered jerky (lean, dried meat)
- 1 part rendered fat (such as bison tallow, bear fat, or duck fat)
- Optional dried berries for flavor, sugar, and micronutrients
This ratio creates a food that hits all three macronutrients—protein, fat, and carbohydrates—in one compact package. It’s also incredibly shelf-stable. Traditional pemmican required no preservatives, refrigeration, or additives. When made and stored properly, it could last up to several years and remain nutritionally intact.
Why It’s a Nutritional Powerhouse
A 3-ounce serving of pemmican can deliver up to 400–500 calories, 30 grams of protein, and 35 grams of fat, plus critical micronutrients like iron, zinc, and B vitamins from the meat. The inclusion of dried berries adds natural sugars, vitamin C, and antioxidants. The fat—especially from wild animals—is nutrient-dense and provides slow-burning energy, making it ideal for endurance.
This isn’t just survival food—it’s functional food. It sustained entire communities, traders, and even armies during times of scarcity. And today, it’s making a quiet comeback among paleo eaters, backpackers, survivalists, and food historians.
My Pre-Columbian-Inspired Pemmican
For my version, I focused on using ingredients available pre-Columbus and likely used by tribes in North America. I made my own venison jerky, baking it low and slow at 200°F for four hours until it was dry enough to grind. Instead of bison or bear fat, I used rendered duck fat, which was used in various Indigenous diets and adds a rich, savory flavor. For fruit, I added unsweetened dried cranberries, which were abundant in the Northeast and Midwest and often used in food and medicine.
I crushed the venison into fine bits, chopped the cranberries, and kneaded them together with the duck fat until it formed a dense, moldable dough. Pressed into bars and chilled, it made four compact, calorie-dense servings—ready to fuel a hike, a video shoot, or a deep-dive into historical research.
If you enjoyed this recipe and the history behind it, you’ll love Eating with Empires—my digital recipe collection featuring 50 dishes from 10 powerful civilizations, including the Persians, Romans, Ottomans, and more. It’s a journey through time told bite by bite, blending historical research with modern kitchen adaptations.
Pemmican Recipe:
Pemmican
Ingredients
- 1 cup venison jerky homemade or store-bought, ideally without added sugar or seasoning
- ½ cup dried cranberries unsweetened if possible
- ⅓ cup rendered duck fat softened but not fully melted
- Pinch of sea salt optional
Instructions
Bake the Jerky
- If your jerky isn’t already brittle:
- Preheat your oven to 200°F (93°C).
- Place the venison jerky on a baking rack or tray and bake for 3–4 hours, flipping once halfway through.
- The jerky should be completely dry and crisp—it should break when snapped, not bend.
- Let cool completely.
Grind the Jerky
- Using a food processor, mortar and pestle, or sharp knife, grind the jerky into fine bits—like coarse meal or shredded floss.
- Aim for small, even pieces that will mix easily with the fat.
Chop the Cranberries
- Finely chop the dried cranberries so they distribute evenly in the mix. You can pulse them in the food processor briefly.
Mix the Pemmican Base
- In a mixing bowl, combine the ground jerky and chopped cranberries.
- Add the softened duck fat gradually and knead together with your hands or a spatula until the mixture binds together like thick dough.
- Add a pinch of salt if desired.
Shape and Set
- Press the mixture into a parchment-lined dish or mold (or form into individual bars by hand).
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to firm up.
- Once set, cut into 4 equal bars and wrap individually for storage.
Notes
- Jerky Texture Matters: For proper shelf-stability and texture, the jerky should be completely brittle before grinding. If it’s chewy, moisture may shorten the storage life of your pemmican.
- Duck Fat Flavor: Duck fat adds a rich, savory depth to this recipe and was historically used in regional Indigenous diets. You can substitute with bison tallow or beef tallow if preferred.
- Customize the Ratio: Traditional pemmican is roughly 1:1 by weight of meat to fat. Adjust your ratios slightly depending on how dry your ingredients are—just enough fat to bind the mix into a firm, non-greasy bar.