1621: jerk May 23, 2019

While 'to jerk' and 'to pull' are sometimes synonymous, their usage in 'jerk chicken' and 'pulled pork' are not. The reason for this is in the etymology. The verb 'to jerk' can be used to describe an array of sudden, sharp movements, and fittingly it thought to come from the sound of a whip, though over the years it has certainly changed. However, the dish is one of Latin American origins, and has its roots in the South American language Quechua's 'echarqui' meaning ‘dried flesh’, and it entered English via the Spanish Spanish 'charquear'.

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