Bresaola and spices, such as juniper berries, cinnamon and nutmeg. They are then left to cure for a few days. A drying period of between one and three months follows, depending on the weight of the particular bresaola. The meat loses up to 40% of its original weight during aging. In Valtellina, a similar process is applied to smaller pieces of meat. This produces a more strongly flavoured product, "slinzega", which is similar to South African "biltong". Traditionally, horse meat was used for "slinzega", but now other meats, such as venison and pork, are used, as well. As an antipasto, bresaola
Smoked meat soon found that the absorbed smoke acted as a preservative. Perhaps the most famous "smokers of meat" were the Caribbean natives who smoked it on a rack over a smoky fire, a setup they called "barbacoa" (one possible etymological origin of barbecue). Country Ham is the United States version of a dry cured ham (other dry cured hams include Italy's Prosciutto, and Spain's Serrano). Most country hams are smoked at the end of the curing process (often with hickory wood). Most Country Hams are aged 90 days or longer to achieve a flavor profile. Famous among early smokers of meat