‘pemmican’ - One For Arthur Ransome Enthusiasts (and Food Historians)

[YnysMon]

In several of the Swallows and Amazons books ‘Pemmican’ is a staple of their camping expeditions. I assumed in the context of the book it was some sort of corned beef (I might be wrong). What I hadn’t realised was Pemmican has a whole, more interesting, history.

 

[unclemike]

if you ever watched westerns on tv it was part of their diet even in those days and originates from canada

[bucket]

Meat of any kind, dried and pounded.....saturated with fat.......

Reminds me of many a late night, walking home from the pub, culinary delight in Leeds.

...............

[stumpy]

2 hours ago, bucket said:

 

Reminds me of many a late night, walking home from the pub, culinary delight in Leeds.

...............

Ah yes! That late night/early morning kebab - and why does one always say yes to the question "Chilli sauce boss?"

[Polly]

I watched loads of tv westerns and never spotted pemmican😋

[unclemike]

must have read it in western books maybe

 

[SteveO]

Meat with lots of fat. Reminds me of the sausages I used to buy from Bradford market for 20p a pound in my student days.

[YnysMon]

8 hours ago, Polly said:

I watched loads of tv westerns and never spotted pemmican😋

I take that comment as tongue firmly in cheek Pauline. 
Most TV westerners were made in Southern California. I get the impression pemmican was a northern thing. I can’t imagine it would be practical further south…wouldn’t the fat go rancid? 

[MargeandParge]

Always an odd thing most of the cowboys and girls never ate pasta in spaghetti westerns.

They seemed to survive on steak and beans before blowing up a storm.

Maybe that's how they could pull the Cork out of a bottle of whisky spit it 25 yards then down 3/4 of the contents before breathing. 

Kindest Regards Marge and Parge 

[unclemike]

just realised i used to read a lot of j t edson westerns (had full set) was somkewhere among them

[Polly]

Beans yes as in ‘Blazing Saddles’

[stumpy]

Had a late night phone call with mate in Detroit who's dad lived in the Upper Peninsula of the state ( really really the back of beyond) and pemmican is still a thing up there amongst the Chippewa locals. Steve has eaten it when out looking for deer and apparently it tastes like you'd imagine but it keeps you going through five foot snow!